Web of Lies
by Crystal Tsukino
Summary: She traveled for so long, aimlessly, without prospects... until one day someone persuaded her to stay. When she finally found happiness, "he" had ripped it out of her hands. She hated Naraku deeply inside her very soul, yet she could not stay away from him. She was, at last, bound to his infernal web of lies, and he, in a way, tied to the attraction he felt for her.
1. Cuckoo in the nest

Hi there, guys! I'm so excited!  
This is the first time I'm translating one of my fanfics!  
You see, I'm brazillian and although I have studied english before and use to hear a lot of music and watch movies and series in english, I cannot say I'm a fluent speaker or writer. So, since now I ask you to be patient and help me with ortographic issues... I confess it gave me a lot of work to translate this chapter and it is one of the most simple ones. I cannot promise I will post another chapter so soon, because I have a lot of things to do, but if I see this story is having a good reception, I'll try to post something every month at least, since Web of Lies has some chapters already written (in my language, Portuguese).  
So, here we are, I really hope you all enjoy my humble tales!  
Have a nice reading!

* * *

 **Cuckoo in the nest**

 _Oh no, they're coming!_ — she pulled the leather saddle, her auburn horse has raised its body before running as faster as it could. The humble cart load was shaking hard as it would dismount. The wheels were jumping over stones and mud, thin branches were collapsing with every vehicle's side and green large leaves were falling through the path. She glanced behind a couple of times - gasping, terrified. After that, she looked ahead, her eyes rolled on all sides looking for a different byway, a way out, she needed to hide from that group of men dressed in noble armor.

"Stop, woman! I command!" their leader, riding a black stud-horse, yelled as he was close enough to touch the cart load and catch it by one of its wood strip.

With time, the wain started to disintegrate. One of the wheels fell off and the wagon mired the muddy ground. The mysterious lass lost her balance for a short instant, nevertheless she succeeded in untying the ropes attached to her slender horse and jumped over its golden loin, leaving the cart behind. Her silk cape with some gold embroidery was getting grimy as the earth turned into brown fog.

"You, find out what's inside the wagon!" the leader gave the order to some of that men while mentoring others: "And you, help me to surround her"!

The enclosed forest ended up in a gorge. The caramel-colored horse's front legs slid and dropped dust down the road, losing itself in the haze. The girl made her animal stops and back off. If she have waited more time, maybe she and her horse would have fallen and crashed. She gasped again and turned behind to see a wall of men staring at her. Everyone with swords in their hands, pointing at her the blades that gleamed the orange sun of dusk.

* * *

"Master!" Doors crawled and behind them two warriors were bringing a woman by her arms. As soon as they entered the hall, those men threw her on her knees on the glossy floor and pulled the hood off her head. The skinny owner of the castle widened his little eyes as he glimpsed the creature's appearance.

The flaming curls fell like a curtain over her shoulders and chest, her face was covered till one of that rude guys raise up your head, pulling it by the hair. Her big and spherical eyes showed up revealing their strange color – blue like a summer sky.

"This youkai was wandering around your lands, master". Another man, the one who was responsible for her capture, came in and removed his "odd" helm – as she would say – and so he bowed respectfully before the guy sitting on the mat.

"I've already told you I'm not this _thing_ that you say so!" She slapped the hand of the soldier who held her by the hair, letting her loose it, then straightening the tangled strands. "That's a misunderstanding, my lord."And she got up, her chest rising and falling frantically.

She realized the men laughed at her accent, yet they still stared at her suspiciously.

"Do you take me for an idiot?" The thin man drank his sake calmly, then set the glass down. "There are no women with such characteristics as yours." He rolled his dark eyes over the orange locks and at last looked into her eyes. "Take off her cloak, let's see if she's hiding something."

The soldiers untied the lace abruptly and tore off her shroud, unveiling a dress that matched her eyes - sky blue - braided at the front, delicately embroidered at the ends, sleeves woven in blue velvet and white linen.

"I _do_ insist, my lord, I am but a simple woman in passing!"

"Simple?" The samurai responsible for her capture laughed sarcastically as he touched her noble skirt, then skirted the delicate golden belt with pearls and spurple stones spiked on it. "Bring the belongings she carried in her wagon." He ordered the pair of men who brought her by her arms.

"All I have I got through my honest work!" She threw the man's hand away and walked away.

"You're too bold for an ordinary woman!" The samurai stepped forward, his eyes on fire. Meanwhile, the feudal lord sitting there was having fun at their expense.

Without delay, the other fellows returned with fine dresses, unrolling them on the floor as if they were beautiful carpets. Ambition glimmered in every trace of the landowner. He fingered the silk, the velvet, the linen, and admired the vivid colors of the pieces.

Until that moment, the woman did not seem to care that much. Then a man appeared with a golden object in his arms. Before he tossed it casually to the floor as they did to the rest, she grabbed the object and tried to take it. She was dragged against her will and had a sword pointed at her neck.

"Oh, it seems to be very valuable to you!" The landowner approached the object and plucked the ropes. "Tell me, how magical is this curious thing?"

"It's my instrument of work, a harp, that's all." She tried to remain calm without loosing her haughtiness. "If you like, I can show you how it sounds."

"Master, with all my respect, this must be a trap!" The man of his confidence appealed. Everyone there thought the same, including the feudal lord.

"If I really were a youkai, everyone in this room would be dead already." She said without hesitation.

"If you are not a youkai, then, what are you?"

"A foreigner." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "A foreigner, that's all".

"Master, I do not believe her." The samurai insisted on our own intuition: "We must cut her head off before she cuts ours or disgrace your lands".

She blanched, the silence of the older man seemed to say for himself what her fate would be. She watched him look at each subject, then look at her from top to bottom and nod positively.

"Kneel." The samurai ordered.

"No, you're making a big mistake!" She persisted and persisted, tried to fight when the men grabbed her arms again, jerked her legs until she was forced to her knees. She felt the pain of having her hair pulled back, and she did not get tired – "I'm just a foreigner"!

"Give up, there's no one for you." The samurai decreed.

"I believe her." A voice from someone who was not there until now sounded. The silhouette showed behind a large door to the back of the castle master.

In this way he appeared before everyone's eyes - serene and in light clothes - with the light stroke of a feather, merciful brown eyes, vast black hair that slid down the back to reach the waist.

"Young master!" The vassals were taken by surprise.

"What is your name, miss?" He asked softly to the prisoner, also in his knees, so their eyes remained at the same level, contrasting the west world with the east.

"Annabelle Rose ..." She whispered, relieved by the sudden presence.

" _Hitomi_ , she can be dangerous," the elder warned.

"Dad, do not worry, I know what I'm doing." He raised his hand to the creature he considered defenseless. She captivated his soft and warm hand and they rose together, gracefully. Cerulean eyes resting on hazel eyes. There was no longer a cold blade prickling the delicate pink skin. "Show me what you can do". He demanded. She complied.

"I need a seat." She asked, and the young master made sure she was answered.

Then Annabelle lifted her instrument even though it was heavy, and sitting on the bench, began to strum the ropes. Son sat down next to his father and, quietly, watched every movement. A maid served them sake as they delighted to hear a different and angelical melody. And if the sounds of the strings were already dazzling, when the stranger opened her lips and freed her voice to sing words in an unknown language, they all felt completely entangled, especially the handsome boy who looked at her relentlessly, making Annabelle open her eyes and face his as she performed her craft.

"Now I understand how you managed to make that little fortune." The oldest in the room commented. " And who knows, Can't you help to increase mine?" He bared his teeth in an unpleasant smile.

"My lord, now that you know I'm not a threat, I thought you'd let me go ..." Her whole body hardened and she felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Father ..." the lad tried to intercede.

"Find her a room, now this woman works for me."

"What? No!" She was tired of being dragged by her arms. "You cannot do this to me!" - and her appeals were all in vain.

When she realized, she was already in a small room with no furniture, only a hard mat where she could lie down. She knocked on the door, tried to open it, but it was locked from the outside. She went to the window protected by wooden bars, tried to rip one out, but she was not strong enough. She circled the cubicle thinking of some way to escape. Then she felt stupid for believing that things would improve after being saved by the handsome son of the castle's lord.

"That will not remain like this!" She promised herself and pulled out a moon-shaped pendant that was hidden in her cleavage. An ebullient, subtle light enveloped the gem, as soon as she realized it, she shook her head as if suppressing herself and hid the piece again – "There must be another way ..."

 _To be continued…_

* * *

Folks, do you remember Hitomi Kagewaki? Well, if you don't, soon you will.  
That's all, at least for now.  
Kissuuuus - insert hearts, candies and flowers here - s2 s2


	2. Prisoner

Hey, guys! It took some time for me to translate this chapter and come here to publish. It's a very hard work, and sometimes I think I have to take much more English classes before try to translate my fanfic. But it's okay, I believe you can undestand my idea. Sorry if my sentences are simple or something.  
Well, last chapter a reader asked me what my story has in common with Inuyasha's Universe, so I'll remember you, people, who _ **Hitomi Kagewaki**_ ( _ **Kagewaki Hitomi,**_ whatever) was: he was the man from whom Naraku stole the appearance. You can see this character in **_Episode 24_** , if I'm not mistaken. Well, this fanfiction begins before the events that occurred in the episode in question. Soon, things will have the same cronology as the TV Series and you will feel more familiar with it, I promise. What I can say for now it's that all that will happen in the first chapters will be very important for my narrative's direction. This is not supose to be a Fairy Tale. Oops!

Hope you enjoy what I'm bringing to you today! Let's read!

* * *

 **Chapter 2 - Prisioner**

"There she goes, arrest her!" The leader ran after Annabelle accompanied by five more soldiers, however, she was lighter and faster and jumped the stone steps hoping to get away from the castle.

"How fast she can be!" One of the men complained as he stumbled down the stairs and almost rolled it down.

"Get out of my way!" Another soldier pushed him aside and moved on.

He managed to reach her as they entered the forest, but he stumbled over the great root of a tree. The man could swear he have seen it moving upward after the woman had jumped it, and yet he was close enough to grab her ankle.

Annabelle fell with her face sunk in the black earth and her fingers nailed to it. Slightly, she turned her body and felt something heavy over herself. It was her captor, who tore the shroud off her orange head to look at the precious turquoises up close. The only light to shine above themselves came from the silver moon in the sky.

"You deserve a nice punishment for your behavior." His smirk made her freeze.

Annabelle showed no resistance and lined her arms on the floor, her hands stretched to her hip as the guy snuggled between her legs to begin to climb her long skirt.

The moment the cloth curled up over her knee and up her thighs, Annabelle folded one of her legs and wrapped the soldier in it. She slyly stretched her fingers to her boot, reaching a silver handle, and pulling it.

"Ah!" The man moaned when an object stabbed under his jamb at the height of his armpit. It certainly was not a fatal injury, though it hurt like hell. "You bitch!"

She pushed him aside, and freed from his weight, would try to proceed with the escape.

Swords surrounded her.

"Where do you think you're going?" That hateful samurai again, the most loyal to the feudal lord.

 _Shit!_ – Annabelle rattled – just in thoughts.

* * *

"My lord, you must punish her in some way, it happened three times, and only in a week!" The samurai of his confidence commented irritably. "And look at this," he tossed the refined dagger to the floor, precious stones adorning the silver handle. "The woman was armed! She could have killed one of my men!"

"She must be punished, allow me to beat her, sir." the stabbed man asked.

"No, father, please. It is more than clear to everyone that this approach is not working, I ask you to let me speak with that lass". Hitomi suggested, shocked at the idea of the soldier.

"And do you think some conversation will solve that?" The lord laughed.

"I think if she's treated well, she can stay with us by her will." the son said convict. "Leave it in my hands, that's all I ask," he said, bowing to his knees. They were sitting, facing each other.

"Whatever" The master did not seem to care about his son's methods.

"Thank you." He cheered, thanked him and left.

"The young master is attracted to that woman." "The warrior who served them faithfully for many years gritted his teeth.

"Then let him take her for himself, make her his courtesan, I do not care, as long as she makes me some profit. The peasants' harvest has not been enough." He sighed in annoyance. "There's been something wrong in these lands for some time. We need to find other ways to earn something, and I'm sure a lot of people will pay to see this woman's gift, or else they'll be encouraged to make deals with me. She's been a hit since the first night ..." He flashed an ambitious smile.

"Would not this woman be the cause of the soil being infertile? We do not know how long she'd been around us." The suspicious samurai said.

"If it's her, we'll find out."

* * *

Anabelle heard the lock opening, then she heard the light footsteps and wondered who was approaching. It was _him_. She looked at Hitomi sideways, but did not leave the place. The lonely prisoner kept her back to him, admiring the gardens through window's bars.

"I'm sorry for all this... I really do" Hitomi took a deep breath before spoke carefully. "I didn't want that for you."

"Then why don't you release me?" She asked harshly.

"That's beyond my power. At least now I'm allowed to approach and try to help you, if you let me so. Would you come with me?" he opened the door, no bars or chains to lock it.

She heard his footsteps and realized they were alone, there was no one but the young master walking forward her. It was real, the handsome son of the castle lord was pulling her out of her prison, and there were no guards around them.

 _Is it the perfect chance to escape?_ She wondered.

Annabelle followed him from distance through the corridors, analyzing the paths they walked, trying to understand how the giant castle was divided so she would not make mistakes next time. Finally, the girl came across open doors that led into an extensive and luxurious room and stopped to look inside, he was at her side.

"Come inside." He guided her.

Annabelle questioned him with her eyes, and his response was a friendly smile that made her feel warmed within.

"What are you waiting for? Come in." He indicated, and she, a little suspicious, followed the direction.

The foreigner circled the room, touching the furniture chosen by someone who had good taste, and suddenly she came upon an ark.

"Open it" The young master suggested. She immediately raised the lid and saw her dresses folded inside.

"Why are you doing this for me?" She turned to him. At last, they stood face to face as in the time they first met.

"If I cannot grant you freedom, at least I can offer you some comfort. I do not want you to feel like a prisoner, but a guest instead." He bowed cordially. "Your musical instrument will be brought here as well, I will provide it..."

"You must want something in return." She still suspected his good intentions.

With a kindly smile on his face, _**Kagewaki Hitomi¹**_ approached her, watching her intently, capturing in his memory her different and mysterious nuances, unlike any person he had ever met. Although he was always respectful, there was something in his eyes that disconcerted Annabelle and made her wish to be imprisoned at the same time.

"What do you want from me?" inspired by the moment, she took a step closer, always keeping eye contact, trying to cross his own and unravel the young lord completely.

"I want to know about you." He felt as if the answer was torn from his throat, as his heart was almost taken from his chest. "Who you are, where you came from, how people live on your land ..." and before he knew it, he was turning red and she was smiling.

"I'll tell you if you take me for a walk in the gardens every day. I'm tired of being trapped between walls and I know I will not be allowed to walk outdoors only by myself." Annabelle paced the room again, tossing her skirt and whirling around the large chamber. "Will you take me?"

"What if you try to run away?" He breathed slowly, trying to keep his composure.

Still dancing, she came to him and said in his ear, "Then you shall catch me." And she turned away suddenly, laughing.

The lad was bewildered until he understood everything as a joke and laughed discreetly. Before leaving the room and letting her have some privacy, the girl's voice caught his attention again:

"My gratitude is yours, **my lord²**."

"That strange word you say, what does it mean?"

"It's the way we treat a respectful man there, where I came from."

"From where?"

"As I said, I'll tell everything when we meet in the garden."

And they said a friendly goodbye. Hitomi believed that he would make her feel comfortable after all, and she would give up running away.

* * *

Early in the morning, just after the first meal, when the rays of sun were still gentle, they walked side by side, her blue dress dragged along the grass while she, excited, told about her origins:

"I was born in the Highlands, I lived part of my childhood there with my parents and sister. Unfortunately, my mother died of fever, after that misfortune my father decided to stop being a simple farmer and began to work as a merchant. Since then, my little family has started to travel a lot, we knew several countries, I have learned to read, write and speak at least four different languages, including yours." While Annabelle was telling her story, she touched some flowers that adorned the gardens. After that, when the girl found some herb in the path, she collected it and continued the walk. Hitomi gazed her in delight.

"I'm sorry for your loss." He was talking about her mother.

"Oh, it's been a long time… I barely remember her face."

"I lost my mother early as well…" Kagewaki remembered.

"We are more alike than we could imagine" she smiled softly "as I was saying, my father didn't mourn for much more time, a year after my mother's death he met a woman and joined her. My stepmother knew about many things and she taught my sister and I as we explored different places".

"And your sister, where is she?" His question made Annabelle suddenly stop walking.

"We followed different paths" her voice trembled. "Would you like to know how we call it in my native language?" The woman changed the subject and spread her hands on the trunk of a large tree.

Kagewaki was a very attentive and sensitive man, although he knows Annabelle must have some secrets, the young lord chose not to dwell on it and turned his attention to learning a little of the vocabulary she intended to teach.

"Craobh" Still touching the brown oak, the ginger woman told how "tree" suppose to be called in Scottish Gaelic and the man tried to spoke it. Obviously, Hitomi failed and Annabelle couldn't help but laugh of his funny accent. The poor lad blushed and kept his brown eyes fixed on the grass beneath his feet. "Don't worry, you'll learn in time. Your language was not easy to learn as well" the girl said sweetly and made him smile a little embarrassed.

"And you accent is also weird" he made fun of her too. They laugh together for instants and then they both stared each other, cheeks were tired, an uncommon silence grew between them as the lord and the foreigner exchanged glances.

 _He is pretty handsome_ … Annabelle thought as she sighed, rolling her eyes through the light suit he wore, through his long, wavy dark hair sprawled across his chest. Hitomi's features seemed to be as if he was a serene and benevolent person. Her heart started to beat faster and when the woman could realize, she was the one who was blushing now.

"So, how your people call this in your native language?" Hitomi picked a little yellow flower from the lawn and offered it to the beautiful prisoner.

"Flùr" her fingers brushed against his and covered them gently.

Kagewaki shuddered because he was not used to such proximity. Women from his lands and culture were more demure and distant, but she? No, such formalities didn't suit her. Her indigo eyes didn't run from contact, all her movements were graceful and spontaneous. That girl was intimidating, wild as a forest animal, and at the same time she was delicate as the little flower in her hands.

His shy fingers slipped of hers, ceasing the gentle touch. Annabelle, still holding the flower, put it over her ear, gracing the orange locks.

"You are a kind man" she noticed softly. _And very good-looking_ – the lass complemented just in thoughts. Her chest warmed as her heart started to race again, another bland smile of the man dressed in white was the cause _. Why am I fixing so much on his appearance?_

"Young master" a samurai approached "Your father is calling for you." The man told Hitomi, after the announcement, he turned to Annabelle and said in a bossy way: "And you, follow me".

That "warrior", or whatever he should be, was ready to draw his sword and point it at the Scottish lass face, but Kagewaki held the blade's handle and prevented the guy to act violently.

"There's no need of this, escort her peacefully, please" he whispered.

"My lord…" Annabelle was frustrated by that pleasant moment has being interrupted. She sighed before grasping the velvet blue skirt and bowed to him cordially, as a Western lady would do. He, on the other hand, bowed to the ginger one in the Eastern way and thanked her for sharing the morning together.

As soon as the maid arrived in the room, she felt cheerful and confused. Annabelle threw herself on the bed and stared at the ceiling, her mind was torn between thoughts of escape and thoughts of staying:

 _Can't let myself give in to temptation; I have to go out this place! But I wonder, could this be the opportunity I've been waiting for so long, to fixate myself, to belong somewhere?_

Her reveries were dispelled when two maids entered the room, they where there to help Annabelle dress herself for an evening event. Oh, she knew what was coming… once again the woman would be displayed as a freak in the noble hall of the castle lord. Since being dragged there, the foreign lady lived the same hell every night. She sighed, surrendering to the thoughts of freedom once more. So, those women braided Annabelle's hair and threw a dark blanket over her body. A man came to carry the golden harp, and though it was heavy, the redheaded beauty insisted that she could take it herself.

"Behold this exotic spectacle" Hitomi's father announced her to his vassals and noble allies. "The freak that sings like a _**Tennyo³**_ " That was the way he introduced her to the audience every night. People said she was deformed and so she needed a veil to cover her horrendous face.

The girl was humiliated by all the smiles and impressed, but mocked looks craving on her. The only one who did not look at her in an air of arrogance and ambition was the man who took her for morning walks. And days passed by, with pleasant mornings and nights of slave labor.

No matter how much Annabelle liked to be with Hitomi, it hurt inside her to be exploited, to see nobles paying to listen to her music without being able to reveal her identity or to gain some credit. That was not the life she dreamed of.

* * *

"You're sad, aren't you?" Her only friend asked, sitting by her side under a Cherry Blossom tree.

"Springtime in your country is very beautiful" the melancholic lass ignored his inquiry. Her empty eyes focused on horizon skies.

"I can imagine how hard it must be for you and I'm very upset with your condition" he pulled out a pink petal wrapped in her flaming hair. "I care about you, _**Anaberu Rosu³**_ " Kagewaki pushed some wavy strands away from her pale cheek. "Look at me…" even he wasn't a warm person by nature, Hitomi was learning to be affectionate because of her and was getting used to touches and cuddles. His soft fingers caressed the corner of her lethargic face. The lad felt a mess inside himself. That was the effect she caused on him.

"I would like to see my horse, I know he is in your stable" she finally stared at him, still apathetic.

"Of course, come with me." The host raised his hand to the guest and helped her to stand up. Annabelle held it firmly and did not let go, even when they were already up and ready to start the walk. The man stood still, contemplating her gesture, a little confused but pleased.

"What are you waiting for? Let's go to the stables!" The Western girl linked her fingers to his, and finally she gave him a charming smile.

"Y-yes, we shall go now"

The couple walked, hand in hand, to the large wooden stable and between several horses, there was hers – well treated, with fresh water to drink and a pill of hay to eat. As long as she saw her journey companion, Annabelle let Hitomi's hand go to caress the shiny horse's hair.

"I missed you, my friend!" She pressed her forehead to the white spot above the equine's snout and smiled. "A horse riding! What do you think? Shall we?" the maiden turned to him and made the proposal. Her sudden excitement commoved him and he could not deny the request.

"Alright, we can ride to the stream nearby, no further. Okay?" and that was his only condition: staying around. Annabelle didn't complain.

The horses trotted side by side through the small valley, until they reached the river described by Hitomi. There, the young miss carefully descended from the saddle and allowed the animal to drink some water as she knelt by the riverside to wash her face, her neck and throbbing lap.

Standing his feet over the greenish grass, Kagewaki held the horse's reins and admired the woman's beauty secretly. He watched her graceful hands washing her sweaty body and she did not even notice him there, for her long red lashes were sealed. The girl seemed to be comfortable and vulnerable. Her fingers skimmed the design of her breasts, steep because of the tight corset she wore. The droplets flowed through the rounded shapes, drawing them and wetting the gold embroidery at the neckline. Hitomi tied the saddle of his horse on a tree trunk near the stream and then he joined her. The castle heir washed his face and drank some of that crystal clear water.

He let himself be distracted more than he should. When his almond-shaped eyes opened, he did not see the lass' reflection at his side, nor was the golden horse there. His heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably.

Annabelle fled.

 _To be continued…_

* * *

 _ **Kagewaki Hitomi¹:**_ So, as I've explained above this chapter, Kagewaki Hitomi was the Castle Lord's son in Anime/Manga. He also sheltered Sango when she was injured for Kohaku's sake. Well, I'm not saying much more, you'll have to read to know the rest.

 ** _My lord²:_** I wrote this fiction in Portuguese first, and there I put Annabelle calling Hitomi as "my lord" in english, because that is one of the languages she can speak. But here I'm writing everything in English, so what would be the point of this expression? Well, I put it in black for you know that they were spoking in Japanese and _that_ expression she spoke in english. Se will do it more times, and I'll try to remember putting the word in black always :)

 _ **Anaberu Rosu³:**_ Oh, how cute, isn't it? That's how Japanese people may pronounce her name.

Well, friends, I'm waiting for reviews. Please, tell me what do you think about my Original Character! Are you anxious for Naraku's entrance? I am! It won't be long. All I can say is that if things seem a little stuck right now, the next chapter will start to heat up.  
In Portuguese, this fiction already has 21 chapters posted on this site, I hope I can find some time to translate more and more and let the two versions at the same point.

Kissuuuuuus!


	3. Moon Pendant

**Chapter 3 – Moon Pendant**

"Stop _Anaberu_!" he yelled while his horse was following hers, chasing the fugitive girl.

She didn't answer and didn't give up of running away, her horse galloped through the trees, where the tracks were narrow and slippery. Annabelle thought the young master would give up chasing her, she believed he would not be brave enough to cross the depths of the forest. However, there he was right behind her, though his horse was not used to ride in such conditions.

 _Bloody hell!_ "Leave me alone!" She raged.

Suddenly, she heard the horse whine after a Kagewaki's ripping cry. The maiden had her stallion come to a halt and looked back. The horse had fallen with the lad, its weight over his leg. Hitomi was trapped. It was her chance, she could go away with no one to follow her… But she didn't.

Instead of leaving, Annabelle got off the horse, ran to the guy and tried to pull him. The pain was excruciating, he screamed, sweaty and taken by spasms. Then she examined the horse's paws and noticed that one of them was broken. The foreigner covered her eyes with her hands and brushed them across her icy forehead, trembling of fear. First she stared at Hitomi, fainting from pain, then she looked around and realized that there were only the two of them, the woods, and – who knows – lurking youkais.

Annabelle took a deep breath, grabbed the pendant hanging from the thin white ribbon around her neck, glimpsed the crystal moon that flashed various colors and mirrored her face several times like a kaleidoscope and she made a decision. Then the lass closed her eyes and knelt in front of the fallen horse to touch its broken paw. She did a massage on it while whispering words of an archaic language. A whitish light circled the point where the bone had broken, and gradually it was regenerating.

When the animal was healed, he got up and ran away, frightened, out of sight. The red-haired Scottish girl rolled to the side avoiding being trampled. At last, she crawled to Hitomi, soiling her dress in the mud.

In front of the unconscious man, she tore a piece of his pants and came upon a crushed leg. The lady had to cover her mouth to drown her nausea and a scream of terror. She needed breathing air as deep as possible to take care of that wound. So, she touched one hand in Hitomi's crushed leg, closed her eyes, and raising her face to the sky she reproduced the same words from an instant ago. His bones began to regenerate gradually, his wounds were healing until there were only small cuts left on his skin surface. Annabelle interrupted the ritual there.

An intense gale surrounded her, the treetops swayed and leaves fell upon the woman and the unconscious man. Suddenly, the wide-eyed orbs returned to normal, the irises resumed blue, the pupils dilated while the mysterious maiden breathed deeply as if she had just emerged to the surface after being about to drown at the bottom of a lake.

A shadowy creature watched her in the depths of the closed woods. Annabelle felt something bewildered stalking her. She could almost smell the evil intentions behind the dense marsh flora. Agile as a fox, the girl sat down and turned her body to the direction where the evil aura emanated. The lunar pendant shimmered as her very self shone albescent, illuminating the dark forest.

"Who's there?" She asked fearless, but that strange presence faded as it was dust in the wind.

The sky, which had darkened briefly, recovered it cerulean clarity. A moaning Hitomi captured her attention.

He opened his eyes slowly, as soon as he was awake his body turned over because of the tremendous pain caused by his broken leg. Annabelle regenerated him till certain point. After all, it would be impossible to have a fallen horse upon himself and stay unharmed, wouldn't so?

The fugitive jumped up, plucked a branch from a tree, scraped it with Kagewaki's blade and made it slick, then she gathered wide leaves, strong enough to wrap his leg with that piece of wood and pin it.

"It was just a simple fracture!" Annabelle said breathless and hyperactive. After immobilizing the young master's leg, she touched his shoulders and insisted: "You'll be fine! I shall leave you at your father's property and then I'll go away. Please, you must understand…" the poor woman spoke quickly, without pauses, without breath, exhausted.

"Why do you insist on getting away?" Hitomi caught her hands and rested them on his throbbing chest. "You won't be safer out there than you are within the castle!" His fingers pressed hers, his brown eyes craved on her figure.

"You don't understand, I can't bear being a freak to everyone only to feed your father's greed! I can no longer stand hiding myself because of my different aspects!" she blew out in anger.

"I do not bother with your different appearance" Kagewaki interrupted her. "As a matter of fact, I like every detail of you. You fascinate me." he kept holding her hands inside one of his; the other smoothed her flaming hair and ended up stroking her warm face. "You don't need to run or hide anymore, I'll find a way to help you, to make you feel safe and happy in the castle, believe me. It's all I ask." The man smiled, even he was in pain.

"My lord…" Moved by his gestures and by himself, Annabelle could find no words to express herself. She pulled the lad up by the arms and hugged him tightly. Hitomi, in response, stroked the red curls and breathed in it scent of roses. His warm breath brushed her neck softly and demure as his chin settled on her cozy shoulder.

At last, she helped him to get up giving him the necessary support, offering her shoulder so he could lean. They came together to Annabelle's horse in that way. Once more, the Scottish lass helped Hitomi, giving him some aid to jump up the animal. Then, they've returned together to the magnanimous property. There, some warriors were guarding the castle entrance when they saw their lord's son and his friend arrive. Two loyal men supported the young Kagewaki, soon they noticed that his leg was injured and blamed the foreign girl, however Hitomi defended her by inventing a story that he fell off the horse and she saved him.

When the Shogun went to his son's room to visit him, he heard the tale already spread by all the vassals and servants. Annabelle had become a heroine overnight, and Kagewaki took advantage of the situation to convince his father: "Father, that woman could have fled if she wanted to, but _Anaberu_ saw the fallen horse on my leg and chose to rescue me. She saved me!"

"If the horse was lying on your leg, how did she get it out?" he questioned, visibly confused.

"I don't know what she did and how she did it, I fainted shortly after the accident, but I'm here, alive and grateful. So I'd like to make a request. No, actually... a requirement".

"Oh, and what do you want so much?" His father asked impatiently.

" _Anaberu_. I want _Anaberu_ exclusively for myself." Hitomi was convinced.

"As your courtesan?" The man smirked.

"No, as my wife" With his eyes closed, Kagewaki decreed his will. He was relaxed on the bed, his fractured leg resting on a soft surface. As soon as his words were over, the almond-shaped orbs opened and faced his father.

"What did you hit, son? I thought it was only your leg, but now I'm certain you hit your head also!" The lord laughed hysterically. "She is a foreigner, a unknown woman, possibly a witch! Have you lost your mind?"

"I am more lucid than ever. I don't want you to expose her in your events as if she were an exotic animal, father!" For the first time in his entire life, the young master raised his voice to his progenitor.

"But that's exactly what she is – an exotic animal!" The man has lost his temper "And you will not marry with that _thing_ , I forbid it!"

"If you force her to expose herself once more, I swear I'll leave the castle and will take her with me" the lad sat down, looking at his father in the depths of his small black eyes. "I never ask anything for myself, I have obeyed you since I was born, even disagreeing with your actions, but this time I will stand my ground and will not give up on what I want!"

At first, the noble shogun was so surprised by the stubbornness of his only son that he couldn't find words to express himself. Something in Hitomi's eyes had changed. What came next was a sad murmur that escaped from the old, paternal lips: "You're in love with her. Hitomi, you fool…"

"Don't even try, father. I won't change my mind."

"Fine! The girl is yours, you can do whatever you want with her, I don't care, as long as you don't marry her. Marriage never! If you two get married, you are no longer my son, do you hear me?"

"But, father!" He tried to get up, but his leg was to injured to do so.

The owner of those lands left the room quickly, with fire overflowing his soul. In heavy steps, he went to his prisoner's bedroom and opened the sliding doors. Not caring that she was wearing only the first layer of clothing, he tightened Annabelle's neck and pressed her against the wall.

"You may have bewitched my son, but you cannot deceive me! You, alone, could get a horse off Hitomi's body?! Now, more than ever, I'm certain that you are a youkai and be sure I'll find a way to prove it!" After threatening her, that hateful beast dropped the lass on the floor as if she were trash, then he left the room in the same way that he entered - violently.

Annabelle stroked her own neck and coughed, her heart tightening inside her chest. The woman didn't think about the consequences of her actions when she was there, in the woods, saving Hitomi's life. Yet, even though she was frightened, she did not regret it at all.

 _I would do it again if I had to._

She sighed and relaxed her shoulders. Then, the Scottish lass got up slowly and looked through the window. For a few seconds, Annabelle was sure that she saw the red eyes of the forest beyond the thick bars, falling back on her like the sight of death itself. She leaned against the wall and clung to the moon pendant. There was nothing but the glow of the stars in the sky, though.

 _The day was very stressful, that's all..._ She closed her eyes and calmed down. It must have been her imagination playing tricks, after all, the red-haired miss had been very impressed by everything she had recently experienced. So, Annabelle decided to lay down and go to sleep, she deserved no less. However, in her sleep her unconscious mind alerted her with nightmares – she, undressed, trapped in an endless web with no possibility of breaking free, while a huge red-eyed spider came, pouring poison from its open chelicerae.

 _To be Continued…_


	4. The White Baboon

Wooow! It has been a long time since I came here and published some news. I'm very sorry, guys!  
But some reviews I received made me so happy that I found some time to give the atention this fanfic desirve! Here I am... I hope my language is ok and you can understand what is happening in my humble story, after all, I believe the chapter's title says something very interesting for its own ;)  
 _ **HERE HE IS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!**_ You all may know how anxious I was about that!  
Good reading, my friends!

* * *

 **Chapter 4 – The White Baboon**

"Sir, I couldn't feel any _youki_ inside her, I'm sorry," the priestess told after examining Annabelle carefully. She was the third _miko_ to go to the castle in order to unmask the owner of the flaming hair.

Seated on the ground, Annabelle turned to Hitomi's father and stared at him, although the lass was bored she smiled playfully, annoying the man as she always did.

"Can I go now, _**my lord**_?" she asked while bowed, pretending cordiality.

Furious, the shogun released her with only a gesturing of his hands. Then an excitedly Annabelle raced out of the hall to the garden. At last, she had some freedom and was no longer escorted by maids or samurais, for the foreign girl hadn't abandoned Kagewaki in distress, she inspired confidence in many people. It was she who prepared the medicinal tea that Hitomi drank to recover and she also taught some of her recipes to the local monks. Even at the master's grudge, Annabelle gradually acquired a good reputation, and every time she went to the garden, there was her protector leaning on a wooden crutch, waiting for her company. She reached the wounded nobleman and took his other arm, helping him to have some balance. Hitomi was mesmerized by the resplendent smile gracing the cheery face of his bonny savior.

"I'm sorry I caused you this." She commented while seeing him limp. They walked side by side on the lawn.

"Don't say that, you saved me." The lad smiled tenderly.

"If I hadn't run away, that wouldn't happen to you." The lady in blue realized, she was about to lose her natural glow, but Hitomi lit her with his serenity, as usual:

"Leave it all behind, _Anaberu._ The important thing is that now we are here together and never again someone will force you to do something you don't want to." He suddenly broke his steps, dropped his crutch and touched her shoulders.

"Careful, _**my lord**_ , you may fall!" She took him by the arms, making him laugh softly.

"I trust in you, you won't let anything happen to me" Kagewaki pulled her to him and entwined her in his gentle arms. Her cerulean eyes closed slowly and her arms wrapped around his back. Their hearts was beating together in unison as he said confidently: "and I will never let anything happen to you, _Anaberu Rosu_ ".

"I'll make it up to you. When your leg is completely healed, I will teach you how people dance in lands beyond the sea" that blooming white rose smiled faithfully as she laid her chin on the shoulder of that charming prince.

"Sometimes I think my recovery is fast because of you" he wondered.

"Don't be silly!" She laughed, releasing herself from the embrace and then picking up the crutch thrown in the grass. "Merit is all yours, you are a strong man." Finally, the young lady returned the cane to the Shogun's son and they walked arm in arm again.

He had no idea that Annabelle was really the cause of his almost instantaneous regeneration. Every night while he slept soundly, she sneaked around his room, kneel beside him and conjured the ancient words of the Celts while touching his leg.

During the day she helped him in other ways. She brought food, tea, she played the harp and sang stories of kings and queens, of heroes and fairies, of life and death. She also took some time to teach him to read and write in one of the languages she was fluent in – the language of Britain. Annabelle tried to make Hitomi utter phrases and ended up laughing of the inability of the oriental man to produce certain phonemes. The foreign girl even tried to draw a map of the places where she went, according to her memories, and demonstrate the distance between the European and Asian mainland. With her, the young master learned every day how vast the world could be and his curiosity to discover new lands grew. When they barely noticed, they planned to travel together. Hitomi wanted to know every country, every building that Annabelle described – from the old Scottish stone castles to the Gothic gargoyles of Notre Dame, from the mystical Highlands and its tales to the beautiful architecture of Muslim heritage, the Alhambra castle – he wanted to see every marble sculpture, every art piece, he dreamed of knowing the woods, the lakes, the ocean... and she promised those things to him every day.

In fact, her company also helped him a lot. In a little more than a month, with summertime's coming, Hitomi was ready to walk normally. It was time for Annabelle to fulfill one of her promises: to teach him to dance like a Western gentleman.

They met in her room, no longer cared about society conventions like what people would think about they two because they were there alone, or something like that. Hitomi was learning with Annabelle to get rid of these bonds, he wanted to be like that free spirit of hers.

So, enjoying the privacy, Annabelle discreetly suspended the first layer of the long, thick skirt revealing the white lace underneath, and took a few steps before she whirled. The lass wore a green dress with pink roses embroidered on the depts of the fabric. Hitomi wondered if that fancy clothes were a festive costume in her culture. It was perfect in her, anyway. He couldn't take his eyes off the woman who was circling him gracefully, her hair bouncing at the same rhythm of her round skirt.

"You must do the same" she guided him and Kagewaki imitated her awkwardly.

The choreography was basically taking steps back and forth and turning while facing each other. From time to time, the palms of their hands touched, they walked by each other side and then – another spin.

The couple managed to synchronize the steps after a while, so the young master circled the large room with the maiden without stumbling. As their hands touched each other, they stared unreservedly, happy without needing to smile, tuned into their innermost being, drawned to each other and understanding the inevitable. The shameless Annabelle closed the distance between them – something considered an obscenity at an official ball – and induced him to hold her waist.

"Raise me up" she whispered as her nose brushed against his. Hitomi, intoxicated by everything she was, lifted her up.

Her hands clasped the back of his neck. She was elegantly thrown up, then lowered by him and their noses touched again. They opened their lips at the same time, talking with gestures, the thirsty mouths approached and when they were within a millimeter of tasting each other a deep and unknown voice sounded next to them, someone else was inside:

"Young master, forgive-me my intrusion"

The couple got scared and walked away immediately. Annabelle suddenly felt sick and dizzy. That gloomy air had returned – the aura she had felt in the forest – it was as if a dark cloud hovered over the white baboon shroud that covered the strange fellow.

"Who are you?" Hitomi asked.

"My name is Naraku, your father appointed me as his counselor. At your service, sir." He bowed to the lad, yet the real object of his attention was Annabelle and she realized it. A malicious grin formed beneath the mask of the unknown man. "I am here because your father wishes to speak to you alone and has instructed me to call you."

Annabelle held Hitomi's hand tightly and looked at him as if she wanted to tell something indispensable. He, a little confused, caressed her face and said that there was no reason to worry, because soon he would return to the room and be there beside her. So the Shogun's young son went out the door. Naraku was going right behind him, but he stopped at the door for a second only to look at her again with the same evil smirk grinding his teeth.

The dream, the spider, something very serious was about to happen, she knew it…

That man wasn't human, he couldn't be.

* * *

"What is happening, father?" Hitomi asked as long as he entered the hall.

"There is a youkai around the castle, I've been told" the lord said triumphant.

"Don't you say you think it is related to _Anaberu_! A lot of priestesses came here to examine her, will you never get tired of it?" Hitomi was outraged.

"That woman is human, no doubt of that" Naraku spoke at last "but it doesn't mean she is common, though. She can be a Shadow Priestess or even a witch that has the power to manipulate a weak youkai".

"But of course she isn't common! _Anaberu_ doesn't belong to these lands, she was raised in a very different culture, it doesn't make her a threat!" The young master insisted.

"More of our lands seem to be infertile, I don't remember our situation was so critical before that woman stepped in here" the lord remembered him.

"Father, a long time before Anaberu being imprisoned here by your small army, we were dealing with this problem".

"We don't know since when she was wandering around, Hitomi" the patriarch of the castle didn't give up on arguing.

"She saved your son's life! Doesn't it matter to you?!"

"I'm here for this, anyway" the White Baboon revealed, smirking discretely "I'll chase down the youkai and if the woman is a witch or something like that, I, Naraku, will figure it out."

"I say you won't find anything wrong about Anaberu, Naraku. I'm sure you won't." Kagewaki bowed to the two men in the living room and departed a little disturbed.

"The young master is in love, sir. He cannot see some things even if they are right in front of his face. But if the woman is a witch and if she is the cause of your lands' misfortune, I'll find out" the counselor was confident in himself.

* * *

Annabelle felt like she was suffocating, she could no longer stand walking in circles inside her room, so she found courage to get out there, she went out the castle and what she saw made her scream – a deep purple cloud, almost black, was approaching – seeing that horrendous mist in the sky, the girl ran to the gardens just to notice that some of the plants were dying. That was a very weird thing to happen in early summer – tree leaves were drying, grass fading into dust and discovering the dark earth.

 _It's him, I know! What more could it be?_

She was certain that all of that was Naraku's fault, so the red-haired woman returned to the castle quickly and asked every servant she found in the way where Hitomi was, till one of them tells her his whereabouts. Knowing where to find her gentle prince, Annabelle took the first steps to the place, but she was intercepted in the back. A hand covered her lips so she could not scream and her body was pulled into a small room. There, the man she feared thrust his mouth into her ear, piercing it with his heavy breath and melting it with hot saliva.

"I saw what you did into the woods. If I tell them, do you think your dearest Hitomi will still believe that you are a harmless woman? Don't you dare to turn against me, _witch_. You must know what happens when people find out about women like you, and men like Hitomi will always fear the unknown" as the man blackmailed her, Annabelle's skin bristled and the closeness between them choked her, as did the grip on her waist. Naraku's fingers were impetuous, she moaned and he smirked in response: "I must admit, you are an interesting little thing…"

Compelled by fear and revulsion, the prey found enough strength to let go and push her predator against the shelves on the wall, some objects fell. The guy held his baboon mask hiding the face, but not his flashing red eyes. " _Ku, ku, ku, ku_ " He laughed enjoying her misery.

"Don't touch me, you filthy one!" Annabelle raged madly. So she rubbed her hand over her ear and wiped it, then tossed her hair over the top.

"Remember our arrangement, you stay quiet and I'lI keep my mouth shout"

She left after closing the door abruptly. The scent of the woman's despair penetrated the baboon's nostrils as if it were an aphrodisiac, and it was not her only perfume. Naraku could still feel the scent of hot liquid that splashed discreetly between her legs when he pulled her against his body and whispered in her ear. It was sudden and instinctive, she couldn't control her own body. The poor woman wanted to beat him by blackmailing her, by cornering her and leaving her defenseless, as if she were caught in a _web_.

 _What I'm going to do?_ \- The lass wondered as she sought shelter in the room given to her by the young master of the castle. After closing the door, she leaned her back against it and slid down to the floor, her hands over her orange head. Bad memories were drawn on a screen of bad thoughts and were revived in a vicious cycle, making her sway back and forth in agony.

* * *

" _Belle? Belle! Where are you?" a golden-haired girl ran among the trees looking for her. "Belle, please, come here and see the beautiful garland I made!" She was carrying red roses braided in a crown and hopped over the stones. "Belle?" and then she stalled to see her sister kneeling before a nightingale lying on the grass._

" _Poor thing, it's not fair!" the ginger child said tearful. "It's so young and beautiful to die in this way…"_

" _Let's make a funeral for it!" the other one, kneeling by her side, tried to comfort her. "Put it here, inside the garland" the blonde suggested._

 _Annabelle took the bird within her hands carefully and would give it to her sister, but something made her change her mind and the little red-haired child brought the nightingale to her chest instead. She closed her indigo eyes tightly, as she was asking for the daily skies, asking for the Goddess, asking for any entity to bring the bird back to life._

" _Belle, it's useless… Come on, leave it!" the blond girl grabbed her arms and shook her insistently. "Don't be silly…"_

… _and a low pound sounded inside the grieving girl hands._

" _Belle, you did it! It's alive! How did you do that?" her round eyes widened, and a broad smile colored the youthful face. "Belle?!" The smile and the colors faded as she realized that her sister was paralyzed in trance, and the little girl's eyes that once were precious blue, now were completely apathetic and white. No pupils, no irises, nothing – just a whitish void. "Daddy!" that poor blond thing ran to the stone hut nearby, shouting as loudly as she could. Then she returned to the camp with a man of a certain age. Father and daughter groped and shook the other girl, then tried to lift her, yet her body seemed to be made of stone._

 _In a random moment, without anyone noticing, the girl's eyes returned to normal, her body regained its usual weight, her hands slowly opened and the small nightingale flew and disappeared into the sky. Then the scene darkened in the sight of little Annabelle Rose as she fainted. When the girl awoke she was already inside her father's hovel, listening he spoke: "My little Belle, listen carefully, no one should know about what happened today. You have a gift, a beautiful gift you inherited from your mother. But people may not understand the beauty of what you can do and they may judge you for it. So keep it as a secret and use it only in case of extreme need. You have to give me your word about that. Promise me, child."_

" _I promise, daddy…"_

* * *

She did not travel the world for pleasure, but to hide what she really was:

 _Witch_ – Annabelle reminded the mourning she felt after the word that sentenced her mother to death.

 _To be Continued…_

* * *

Naraku finally appeared, fellows! Despites I'm happy for this moment, our dear Annabelle is very pissed of. LOL  
Well, things are going to be more and more interesting from now own, I can promise you that. See you again in the next one, and I'll do my best to publish soon!  
XoXo


	5. The Giant Spider

**Chapter 5 – The Giant Spider**

She walked through the hazy corridors as she was a wandering ghost with no direction. Deep within, Annabelle didn't know where to go or what to do. As the days passed by, the weather got colder and heavier, and her Hitomi Kagewaki seemed more and more distant. Because of the strange events in those lands, Hitomi decided to travel to see for himself the villages' conditions. Then there was her, the master who detested her, and the deplorable fellow who seemed to watch her every step.

Her eyes, brushed with purplish dark circles, could hardly blink. Annabelle was always on alert. Every time she slept she had the same nightmare with a spider. And at night, the girl could swear she heard the footsteps of a giant monster around the property. It was driving her crazy... She needed some distraction.

After insistently asking she persuaded the master to cede her some fabrics and sewing materials. So the Scottish lady remained locked inside her room day and night, embroidering a kind of cloak with a printed coat.

"The master sent me to call you for dinner" That hideous baboon opened the room's door without a glance and announced, frightening and making her stick the forefinger with the neddle.

"Thank you for the inviting, but you can tell your lord that I'm not hungry." She didn't look to him because was busy pressing the finger till a blood drop forms on the top.

"You seems very distracted lately, witch." Without her noticing, Naraku knelt in front of her. He took her hand, surprising the human girl, and pressed her finger also, helping the blood to drip.

"Stay away from me!" she pulled away her arm and the robe she was embroidering. Who did he think he was to come close like that?

"You have talent for it, what a pity this activity is so useless" he rolled his crimson eyes over the piece she was sewing and touched the velvet. "I believe you are capable of greater things. Am I wrong?"

"It's none of your business, leave me alone." The lass turned her face, avoiding their eyes to meet again. Her shaky behavior made him laugh.

"You amuse me, woman" He was in a very good mood and must admitted it.

"You make me want to trow up!" - Annabelle growled.

"Well, we'll have many more opportunities to get know each other better" He lifted "I'll tell you are feeling unwell"

"Go to hell." She couldn't loose the change to plague against him before the baboon left the room, but her gesture just made he laugh one more from many times.

Naraku was making her ill, she wanted to suffocate him with a pillow while he slept.

The problem was he _never_ slept.

In the early hours as she walked insomniac, they bumped accidentally in the darkness. It was like that creature was chasing her, haunting her. No one would believe if Annabelle told, but she could swear he was scenting her, that he was watching her bath, change her clothes... and think about that absurd ideas was making her queasy.

Desperate, the Scottish Lady thought about telling the truth to Hitomi about her hidden gift and about the day the gentle lad fell of the horse. When she was almost finding the courage to reveal herself, Naraku's morbid words reminded her every kind of judgment she had to endure in her whole life. She remembered the tragic fate of her mother, whose body tied to a stone lay deep in the depths of a forgotten river. Annabelle wandered if the young master was really that benevolent and understanding man he showed to be.

That psychological torture remained until Kagewaki returns of his journey.

Someday, he came trough the haze with some of his loyal samurais. The galloping horses brought hope to Annabelle's heart that her guardian angel was back. So she ran as faster as she could to welcome Hitomi with a relieved smile in her face, there were not many plants in the garden, only a few sere trees, not a single flower, but to much of dark and desert sand.

Hitomi was in shock, that landscape didn't seem to that one where he grown up. In fact, the Castle's garden looked very similar to all arid lands he visited. It was a plague – he thought. Concerned about his lands and people, the handsome shogun's heir barely noticed Annabelle's presence. He greeted her quickly and ran into his home, focused on reporting his experiences to his father. The peasants were sick, supplies were scarce even at harvest time. _It is a nightmare_ – Anabelle moaned in her thoughts as she heard the two men talking behind the door. They shared the idea of that disgrace be an youkai's work, then the ginger lady trembled. She knew well what would came next – she would be the suspect not only for that mean Shogun and his conselor, but for Hitomi's serene eyes, even the young lad speaking nothing about her.

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply, her body shaked as if it was going to fall. Then the door was opened by someone.

 _Hitomi_ – Annabelle saw his downcast face staring her. He was lost within a silent apathy. "My lord..." After the brief shock, she smiled tenderly.

"What were you doing behind the door?" he asked suspiciously.

"I just wanted to see you, we barely talked..." the lass lowered her gaze to the dark floor.

"You're right, forgive-me about that. I'm so tired..." he walked past her, going to his chambers.

Annabelle didn't understand why Kagewaki was so cold, her heart froze inside her chest. Then, Naraku came closer and when they were side by side, that awful thing said:

"It seems that even the young master is suspicious of you. Oh, what are you going to do now, witch?" With those words, the baboon encourages her anguish.

Annabelle shook her head as her body trembled. She quickly ran to her room and locked the door. The western woman took the blanket she made for her sweetheart, thought about running again, left everything behind, yet her heart guided her to do the opposite. She coudn't aloud that man dressed in monkey's skin to destroy the relationship she carefully build with her dear Hitomi. So, Annabelle folded the blanket under her arm and she marched to the bedroom of the man she missed so much.

She walked through the doorway unceremoniously, met Naraku sitting in front of the young master and didn't mind interrupting the conversation between them. Annabelle sited on Hitomi's other side and before he could say anything, her desperate embrace silenced him. Then the girl kissed his forehead and started to unburden herself:

"I thought about you every day and night! How could you barely speak to me?"

"Anaberu..." - Surprised and disconcerted, Hitomi tried to make her notice Naraku's presence with a head movement.

"Did you missed me as I missed you, my lord? I wonder..." She didn't care if there was any other person in that room, it was like only she and Hitomi were there. Annabelle grabbed Kagewaki's hands tenderly and continued to talk what was into her heart: "I made something for you..." - she revealed the purple blanked with two roses embroidered on it – one white, other red – within a golden fillet. "Rose... This is my clan's blazon. Tell me a symbol and I can make one for yours." She pretended to be cheerful, yet melancholy marked her countenance.

Naraku observed the scene in silence. In other hand, Annabelle's tenderness warmed Hitomi and brought his affection back.

" _Rosu._.." He smiled " _Anaberu Rosu_... sounds well enough to me." The young man sighed "Thank you for you dedication, my Anaberu" and stroked her face softly "Sorry if I was displeasing, I'm just too stressed because of my trip. "Naraku and I were talking about the failure this endeavor was. Our lands are in terrible conditions, now I believe this must have an youkai's finger"

"If you're right, we'll find a way to solve the problem, my lord. Your father's lands won't be cursed forever, I'm sure!" She caught her hand and made it caress her warm cheek.

"I didn't know you were so talented..." Hitomi was talking about the blanked. Admired, he touched the soft purple cloth "It's beautiful as everything you usually do" Finally, his gentle smile was back.

"Do you want me to boil some tea for you?" She asked in relief.

"I want you to play those songs from your homeland for me... Oh, not only for me!" the lad corrected himself "For me and Naraku as well" he smiled for the counselor sited by the wall. "What do you think, Naraku?"

"I'm curious." The mysterious guy said in false enthusiasm. Annabelle rolled her eyes, tired of his presence.

"All right, wait a second" she asked for them as she went to get her harp. The lass carried the golden instrument alone, even it was heavy.

As soon as she returned to Hitomi's chamber, Annabelle started playing the Gaelic songs of her homeland. The two men observed her in silence and equal admiration. For the first time, Annabelle didn't notice malice into the scarlet eyes underneath the Baboon's mask. That pretentious being was only an spectator at the moment, and he seemed to be interested on her art, or – maybe – on her.

Annabelle thought she was spending to much time and attention on Naraku and repressed herself for that. So, her eyes found the sweet gaze of Hitomi again and for those brown and bright orbs she kept looking as long as the music sounded in the room.

"Thank you, it was stunning as always, Anaberu" He sighed in ecstasy, laying himself in the bed. "I'm sure I'll have sweet, sweet dreams tonight".

"Good night, my lord." She bowed, lifted her harp to leave the room and let him rest...

A crash sounded and the roof rafters began to fall, they would hit Hitomi and crush him. Annabelle dropped her harp without any care and throw her body over his while Naraku took a dagger from inside his sleeve and jumped, stabbing an eye of the being that had appeared above them – a huge black spider with crimson eyes, identical to the one Annabelle had dreamed of. Anna and Hitomi could see the youkai perfectly.

The creature came down the hole in the roof, pushing Naraku back. It opened it's mouth, showing the tusks bathed in poison, ready to devour everyone in the room. Annabelle held the moon pendant hidden within her clothes and stared the spider in the eyes, the beast stopped moving and growled. The foreigner girl didn't blink. Naraku stared at her, after he analyzed the petrified youkai and finally pierce the blade into the monster's throat.

The agonizing spider retreated and disappeared, fleeing from the same place where it entered.

"It ran" Naraku announced as he put the dagger back in his sleeve.

"Naraku, you saved our lives!" Hitomi, still impressed by the recent events, praised the Baboon. "Thank you, thank you so much!" he raised and pushed Annabelle by the hands.

"Young master, I only kept my duty to protect you" He bowed in false humility. "The spider youkai isn't dead and possibly will come back"

However, Naraku wasn't the only protector of Hitomi on that occasion. When Annabelle threw herself over Kagewaki's body, the falling logs should have crushed the both of them, but they mysteriously spilled across the floor in different directions. What Hitomi didn't realize, Naraku seized every detail. And while the innocent lad announced that "Naraku's bravery" should be celebrated, the false hero stared Annabelle with the same evil smirk under the monkey's mask.

And she, who was certain of Naraku's bad intentions, now was lost in doubts. After all, the man had saved them. Why would he do such a thing if he doesn't care?

Thankful, Annabelle gave him the first friendly gaze and smile. The first web's string nailed her body and the lass didn't even suspect.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

Hey, friends! After a long time (again), I came here to post a new chapter!  
Hope you like it, because it's **_really_** hard and laborious to translate... LOL  
Kissuuuuus 3


	6. Sorcery

Hello, friends! Look who showed up earlier this time! Okay, not so soon as it could be, but more than the last time LOL...  
All reviews and private messages were encouraging and now, I translate my texts everytime I can! Yey!  
So, I hope you like this one, I think chapter 8 is very exciting in different ways, mostly if you enjoy Naraku as I do, and the next is even better!  
Good reading, everybody! Sorry If I written something inappropriate, I'm doing my best, swear it.

* * *

 **Chapter 6 – Sorcery**

Since that night when the giant spider showed itself, Annabelle used to wait every guard in that castle go to sleep, so she could go to a lake nearby to conjure a protection spell. Anna came down a ravine that led to the stream's bank, wearing only a white – translucid – nightdress. With light and slow steps, she entered the cold waters and made circular movements with her fingers on the watery surface, then luminous circles came out the lake and floated to the skyes as Annabelle spelled words in an ancient language. All gravity around her seemed different, even her ginger hair swayed high and droplets of water flew to the air, combined with those ivory mystic orbs.

That kind of magic she was making made leaves grew on dead threes and grass arise over desertic lands. Nature showed itself strong and Naraku knew he could assign the recent phenomena to a single person:

"Annabelle, what is in your mind?"

It was clearly out of his plans to have a sort of witch or priestess on his way, ruinning his plot. So, next nightime, Naraku followed Annabelle's steps to the river and hidden himself behind a large three. Her carroty loose locks falling over her shoulders and her bare feet walking gracefuly on the ground made her looks like a part of the forest, as if she could be a flower, or even a ondine of the stream she was entering. Without noticing, the White Baboon got glazed on the woman with open arms, half of her delicated body inside the clear pond, spelling the same old words from nights before – in fact, it was more singing than speaking – and she was making the circles float again, gifting Naraku with a spectacle from nature. Sky became clearer with the lights, in fact it seemed _purified_.

 _This woman is dangerous -_ Naraku realized in his toughts.

"I know you're there" her calm voice surprised him. "Always sneaking around, Naraku".

Annabelle remained serene and went out the water, not caring if her clothes were wet and transparent, the fabric wrapped in her body, showing it curves. The celestian eyes were craved on the strange man who stared her shinny moon pendant. She doesn't seemed to be aware or ashamed of her condittion. Naraku, still rolling his eyes on every form of her, asked:

"What are you?"

"What are you?" She replied with the same question.

"I can't feel _youki_ on you, but you can't be human" he commented, intrigued by her powers.

"As strange as it may seem, I am" the White Rose smiled in response, and then started to walk the path wich would lead her to the castle. The mysterious white aura remained over her, contourning all features, making her a light in the darkest of woods. Some grass returned to grow on the trail she was passing by. That happened on those days, since she started a protection ritual. One more thing to Naraku worry about.

He decided to bring a castle's guard with him in the next time, so the footman would see the things Annabelle could do, be afraid and tell everyone the truth about the redhaired girl... but she never came.

 _She is smarter than I thought._

Annabelle woudn't be stupid to repeat the rite, knowing Naraku was at her back. Although he earned a little credit from her for saving Hitomi's life, even so she couldn't give him a chance to ruin things for her. The Scottish Lady knew a lot of people who she trusted in, and had to move away after having her powers revealed. Every time someone found out about her gifts, Belle walked away, for she kney the nature of people, and what they were used to do when they had to deal with something they couldn't understand. So, Anna decided she would think about another way to protect the castle.

A few days after the ritual's ending, the eight-legged beast caused panic in the castle again, this time in the gardens. Naraku left another scar on youkay's face and it ran away. However, something began around the property. The firmament was always shrouded in purple mist, and the few leaves that grew on some branches finally fell, turning that scenery a funereal landscape.

On one of those faded mornings, Annabelle and Hitomi were sitting on a porch facing the garden

and staring the dead plants in a sadly silence. When the young master would get up, his body fell forward, Annabelle held him quickly, and touched his face. It was very, very hot.

"You're burning with fever!" She touched his forehead.

"It's nothing..." he said with rolling eyes, weakly.

"Guards!" The girl screamed with all energy she got. Two men came near quickly, grabbed Hitomi to his room and laid him down into his bed. Anna knelt beside him and asked for towels, water and some herbs. At that point, the guards didn't make any question. "Tell the shogun his son is unwell!" and that would soon be arranged.

"Yes, miss Anaberu!" they answered and ran to the lord's chambers to warn him. The man was sitting in front of the balcony's door drinking a cup of sake. "Sir, the young master is very ill!"

"Oh, really?" The old man took a sip of his drink and remained staring the desert outside the doors. "Take care of him then".

"Won't you come to see him, master?" They insisted, that behavior was uncommon for their lord.

"No" Hitomi's father answered emotionless "I'm busy".

* * *

While the subjects and servants of the castle commented that Kagewaki's father was acting strange, Annabelle induced the lad to drink a potion she had made from the juice of squeezed herbs. Even it was bitter, he didn't complain.

"You're tireless. How long you've been here taking care of me?" He caught her hand inside his trembling one.

"It hasn't been that long, my lord. You're so exhausted, I believe that journey wasn't good for you..."

"It certainly wasn't." the lad laughed weakly.

"I'll see if I can find something for you to eat" she was ready to get up, but Hitomi didn't ler her hand go.

"Stay with me here" he moaned "please...".

"My lord, what is that?" the lass bent her body, closing the distance between them. "You'll be alright." Then she laid down her head over his chest and heard it wheezing.

"I don't know, I have a bad feeling..." his brown eyes closed, stubborn against his will to stay awake.

"Don't be silly, you'll be fine, I promise" she closed her eyes apprehensively, sliding her hand down his neck, across his chest, and into his belly. "I'll watch over you" Annabelle spoke softly. So, she concentrated herself, kept her focus on Hitomi's body. Soon, she could feel what was happening inside him, and when she found out, the azure eyes opened wide.

She sat suddenly and analyzed him to the bone, so she felt the dark aura – similar to Naraku's – within Hitomi. Anna trembled and distrusted the White Baboon's intentions again. That guy should have something to do with that mess. But, most worried about her young master then with dirty plots, Annabelle filled her lungs with air, held his head in her hands, closed her eyes, opened her lips and brought them close to his dry, half-open mouth. With their mouths almost sealed, a thread of light escaped Annabelle's throat and entered through his.

In the day after, Kagewaki awoke feeling much better and without fever, although he was still weak. The foreigner miss realized her efforts did work and decided to repeat her little act every night, when her protector was deeply asleep. Finished her work, Annabelle went to her room and prayed with her hands together. The spider still walked around the castle, but doesn't entered it anymore.

 _She is purifying him_. Naraku noticed after a few days, so he began to observe her through a small crack in the door.

"What are you doing there?" a handmaid, carrying a winnower with food, stopped in front of him and asked.

"Oh, what a wonderful surprise! Is this for the young master?" Naraku pretended to be friendly and the woman said a "yes" bouncing her head. The pretentious hanyou invited her to sit at his side. "Come see something very interesting with me".

The maid knelt and put her small black eye on the crack, then she blanched as if she had seen a ghost.

"Go, tell everyone in this castle there is a witch among us and she is responsible for drying Young Master's energies."

Without hesitation, the maid dropped the tray on the floor and rushed to warn the Shogun and the samurai leader about Annabelle's actions. The day when the poor lady would be unmasked had finally arrived.

* * *

As she completed her task, once again Annabelle lifted up and prepared herself to go back to her room, so she was surprised by the samurai that always gave her chills.

"You, follow me. Master wishes to see you" he demanded with his katana in hand.

"Alright, it has no need of use this thing... Ah!" the girl moaned as soon her arm was pressed by his impetuous hand. She coldn't even walk by her will, because the man pushed her until they were at the great hall – the place she almost got killed in her first time there.

"Don't you try to trick us" he said, speaking for him and the other two in there: Hitomi's father and Naraku. The maid was silent as alone on a corner, other guards were around. She was cornered.

"What's happening?" Annabelle asked as soon her arm was realesed. The way those people were looking at her wasn't good. Although she feared, her features stayed confident. Then, when her eyes fixed on Lord's castle, she've seen a strange shadow underneath him – a spider. So, she narrowed her eyes to see better and saw a web thread connected to the man. When she was almost finding the origin of the that thread, the maid's voice gained her attention.

"I saw with my own eyes sir, she was bewitching the young master, draining his soul from the body!" She pointed the finger at the Scottish lady, fiercely.

"That's not truth! You didn't understand what you've seen..." Anna tried to explain.

"Witch!" the hysterical woman insisted "She bewitched the master, bewitched us all!"

"Witch... Witch!" all the guards in there repeated the cursed word in unison choir. Every human soul inside the hall were drove in fear of unknowing things and the anger grew within them as a disease. "With!" How Annabelle hated that word... if only they knew the goodness inside her, but that men held her arms violently, trying to immobilize her. Naraku remained silent, only observing that odd situation. The master's face showed a sadistic smirk.

"No, I was trying to protect him!" As long as Annabelle had a voice, she would defend herself. She bounced her body wanting to get rid of those men. Her legs rattled, she tried to kick her gaolers, so the girl realized that with physical strength she could not keep those guards away. "You don't understand!" the lass screamed "He is the one to blame!" and finnaly, she stared at the owner of the land and the castle, surprising everyone. "The youkai is inside him." the ginger foreigner announced convicted, attracting Naraku's attention.

"That's absurd, woman!" the samurai brushed the sword blade on her chin "Say another impropriety and I'll cut your tongue."

"Arrest her" the lord said visibly apprehensive. "Tomorrow I want to see her quartered in pieces!" his eyes widened and fixed on her, as he could see the flesh beneath the dress.

"No." She stared at him even more deeper, if he could see her skin, she could reach his soul. Fearless, Anna relaxed her arms and hands.

"Take... Take this woman out!" his voice trembled, Hitomi's father was suddenly unsettled, his lean joints stiff and his fingers stretched like thin, dry bones. "She-she is cursing me, take her out now!"

"No." once more, she spoke calmly, but decided. That time the guards and the samurai were immobilized too.

"What's the meaning of this?" the men asked "What has she done?!"

In short, unhurried steps, Annabelle turned to the paralyzed creature and held out her hand. The dark shadow following him started to writhe. Naraku noticed he would have to stop her, but before he had a chance, someone else did the work for him.

" _Anaberu._.." Kagewaki was leaning against the door, gazing at her in deception.

She turned and looked at him, terrified. Her arms went down and the faint white light around her faded.

"Hitomi..." The name was spoken weakly as she encountered the gaze of someone disappointed and frightened.

He knew.

A heavy blow to the head made her lose her senses. Naraku hit her with his sword's handle and held her in his arms.

"Take this witch away!" master gave the order.

The White Baboon carried her carefully, as he was passing through the door, Annabelle's legs bumped lightly on a unbeliever Hitomi.

* * *

As he had been guided, he left the girl in a cell and tied her hands and legs, even knowing that it might not be enough to contain her will to scape. Still, Naraku tied her firmly and laid her down on the cold floor. At last, pushed the orange waves away from the milky face, listened to the heavy breath, and when he found himself he was lost in the dazzle of her vulnerable and beautiful visage.

"This is ridiculous" the Baboon reprehended himself, got up quickly and left her in the small prison, at the mercy of the night and the cold weather.

 _It seems I got rid of you now._ He thought, but Naraku wasn't so satisfied as he appeared to be.

 _To be continued..._


	7. Runaway

And here I am again, guys! Did you miss me? I hope so...  
It took me days to translate this one, I did it bit by bit, and now here the chapter is! Personally, for me now is the moment when things start to get more interesting. I'll wont talk much though, cause I want you to have your own conclusion about facts.  
Hope you'll enjoy it, and sorry if I mistaken a word or sentence, I'm doing my best to write a good text.  
Have a nice reading, fellows!

* * *

 **Chapter 7 – Runaway**

Annabelle woke up feeling a bit of pain in her head, the stitches made her feel dizzy and bewildered, but soon she remembered what happened. She tried to move her hands, but they were tied, so she rubbed them trying to slide them off the rope, yet the knot was too tight.

She folded her legs, thrust her body back and leaned against the wall. Then the young woman dragged herself to a sitting position and lifted her hands over her mouth, so she could try to break the rope with her teeth.

The rope was strong and Belle failed, but she wouldn't give up.

Suddenly, the cell's door was opened by someone. The lass raised her face slowly, seeing the white pants with fine embroidery first, then the raven hair sliding over his chest, and finally she glimpsed the melancholy and languid Hitomi Kagewaki's face.

Annabelle said nothing, just sighed sadly. She believed that, no matter what she could say to defend herself, he wouldn't listen. _Everybody_ was the same at the end.

He knelt down in front of her. Sharing her silence, Hitomi took her hands and untied them. Surprised, Annabelle watched the young master untie her ankles as well.

"Why are you doing this?" the ginger woman asked. "Now that you know what I am, aren't you afraid of me?"

"I don't know" he confessed. "I just know you saved me once, and for that I owe you".

"My lord," she held his face in her hands unexpectedly "all that I've done was for your own good, believe me!" and she begged. His brown orbs remained lowered, hidding from the blue ones. "Look at me!" Annabelle demanded and he timidly obeyed. "I..." she appealed for attention, yet didn't know how to express what she wanted to say.

"Why were you trying to attack my father?" he questioned and put her hands away from his face.

"That man is not your father, an youkai took over his body, you have to trust me!"

"Why should I? Since the beginning you hid who you really are. You are an youkai, aren't you?" his voice sounded deep and bitter.

"No, my lord, I'm not." Annabelle sighed again "I'm just a foreigner, a woman like anyone else"

"You're not a common woman, you are a witch. It was you cursing the soil of these lands, wasn't it so?"

"No!" she exclaimed. "All this time, I've tried to find a way to _save_ these lands, to save _you_! I can't believe you are suspecting of me, you're just like the others!" Anna tightened her bluish skirt and closed her eyes tightly. Finally, she turned her head to restrain her anger and indignation.

" _Anaberu_ , what are you talking about? Others who?" The suspicious came out and repentance consumed him at last.

"People... people who pass through my life and judged me and accused me of witchcraft when they discovered the things I could do. It's always the same, and because of it I've been walking by myself around the world for years. I thought you were different..." She looked at him again.

"If you are neither youkai nor witch, what are you then?" he asked in anguish "Tell me the truth and I promise I'll not judge you" and he caressed her chin gently "Once you told me you trust me, so share this secret with me".

"The truth is I don't know what I am, my lord. Disappointing, isn't it?" She showed a annoyed smile and sighed. Annabelle was visibly tired. "I know that I didn't choose it. I was born this way, with this thing – called for some as a _gift_ and I named as a _curse_ – inside me. I swore to myself that I would never use this _gift_ again, so the horse fell on your leg and crushed it. I broke my vow and saved you from an amputation. Then, I tried to rid the castle and the lands from this sudden evil and you got ill. I thought you would die of fever and one more time I did what I shoudn't, I shared with you this _thing_ a little, to help you get better. It's not natural, it's not common and in this part I lied about myself. I am what your father displayed in his hall, a freak." It seemed like she put a weight out of herself telling him those things, despite of how he would deal with her story.

"No, _Anaberu_..." impressed by her tale, Kagewaki lifted the fingers that held her chin to her flushed cheek and brushed away a few strands of hair that covered it. "You are a deity. I can't let my father harm you and I'm here to protect you from him. I packed up your clothes and had a carriage ready. I came to take you out from this place"

"What?" She definitely wasn't expecting that gesture from him. Heart got warm into her chest. "Where are we going?" Annabelle asked with a sweet and excited smile on her face.

"Not we, _you_ are going" Hitomi explained and her tender smile dissipated. "If all that you said about my father is truth, I must fix it" he shrugged, head down.

"I can't leave you alone here, you'll be unprotected!" she held his hands "Come with me, we can travel the world just as we planned before!" She was thrilled, lost within a dream built by they both.

" _Anaberu_ , I can't leave everything behind. Many people depends on my father, and will depend on me when he is gone. I have lands to manage, people to care about..." she couldn't blame him, Hitomi was a conscious and responsible lad. "but I'll solve this, I promise. And when this castle is safe, I'll send Naraku to bring you back".

"Naraku..." she whispered that name in bitterness.

"And when you come back..." he took one hand of her and gave it a tender kiss "I want you to be my wife".

Annabelle's heart suddenly accelerated numbing her senses.

"Would you marry me?" he asked a little insecure.

From that moment, the Scottish lady allowed herself to do what she longed so much and kept in secret for a while. Annabelle would not contain her desires anymore. She grabbed him by the neck and caught his lips in an urgent, desperate kiss. That was her answer.

In the first time, Hitomi couldn't breathe and couldn't guess what to do with his own hands. They groped around her waist and stopped resting on her back. His mouth, before tense, opened up ready to taste the softness of the tongue that wanted to entwine with his own. Gentle fingers stroked the back of his neck, playing with his dark locks, and caressed his shoulders, his back, and his uncontrolled chest. He got warm, she already was.

Then Kagewaki pushed her closer, carefully, sealing their bodies. He shuddered as he felt the throbbing breasts against his chest and her scent made him inebriate. Annabelle cherished him in the embrace, trying to contain his tremors. The young master was far nervous than she.

"It's time to go, soon the guards will come to pick her up" the low, sombre tone echoed through the iron bars of the door. _He_ was sneaking around, as ever.

Annabelle suppressed a shout of surprise, Hitomi straightened his clothes uncomfortably.

 _Was he there all the time?!_ She was taken by shivers just thinking of such an odd situation.

They got up, the shogun's son came out of the cell first, but when Annabelle was about to walk through the door, Naraku got in the way.

"What do you want?" she asked impatiently.

"Recompose yourself." the Baboon said in a deep voice, crimson eyes glazed at the open neckline, wich lace had loosened revealing the curves of the rounded breasts, covered only by a thin layer of white silk.

Annabelle wasn't a shy person, even so she blushed from head to toe and tied the lace of her dress awkwardly, in a rush. She tied it so tigh that she almost lost her breath. Naraku turned around and finally they all leaved the small prison.

* * *

Hitomi went down the stone steps accompanied by the White Baboon and his ginger fiancee, there was his boundary. The chariot with two strong horses – one belonged to Annabelle, the other bright white – was ready to go.

"Your clothes are in it, I gave you some supplies as well" Hitomi pointed to that fancy vehicle. Then he took off the shroud covering her head and had a glimpse of her features once more before she leaves.

"And my harp?"

"It's here with me, so you'll have a reason to come back" Kagewaki smiled tenderly.

"And aren't you reason enough?" Anna held him, her cheek pressed against his chest. "I love you..." she whispered the confession, so she could sleep well in nights they would be apart.

She heard his vital organ throb frantically and collapsed within the arms entwining her. His hands smoothed her long red hair, his nose hid in the locks smelling them softly, and his mouth kissed her forehead.

"It's time to leave, Annabelle." An impatient Naraku spoke to her.

"Go..." the lad took a deep breath, convincing himself that he must release her. Although, in the bottom of his heart, Hitomi wished he could keep Annabelle into his embrace forever. "If things take so long to be fine, I shall go after you, I'll find you. Even if it's for us to share a single night together."

"I will wait for you," she stepped back slowly, keeping their hands together as long as she could. At last, their fingers separated, their tips brushed and that was the last contact. "my lord" Annabelle bowed a last time before leaving.

"My lady..." for the first time, he pronounced the words correctly and tried to imitate how nobility of her homeland use to reverence. Annabelle smiled proudly, Hitomi learned it in the end. She climbed the carriage and sat beside Naraku with that silly smile on her face, then they left.

* * *

The pair had to get around the woods because the space between trees was too short for a carriage passing by. Annabelle hid her face behind the cape all the way, they passed through small villages ravaged by drought, covered by purple clouds. That situation made her more emotional and Naraku realized it.

"You shouldn't feel sorry for those people, you know? They wouldn't feel for you if they know about your secret powers" he said indifferently.

"They are just people, it's normal they act like that..." she commented and yawned.

"You two care too much, that's the problem. If Kagewaki was smart, he would be here instead of me, taking his future wife to a private paradise to deflower her as much as he wants." Naraku smirked sarcastically.

She didn't answer.

"Oh, what's it Annabelle? The 'deity' run out of words?" he persisted "Deity. _Pff!_ " and still mocked on her "I saw how you threw your body over his. To libertine for being a deity, don't you think? _Ku, ku, ku_ ". Naraku was inspired to provoke her, then Annabelle's head rested over his shoulder. "Well, well... Aren't your Hitomi enough? You seem to want more" and he laughed louder, surprised with her gesture and a bit satisfied with it. Still, there was no response from her. The White Baboon gazed at her carefully, noticing her slowly and deep breaths. Finnally, he took off the cape covering her face and realized that the girl didn't hear a thing he had spoken. Annabelle was so tired that she fell asleep. "Humans..." Naraku wheezed, put back her cape and rolled his eyes.

* * *

They arrived their destiny when sun was shinning bright and fiery. There was a humble wood cabin, isolated on top of a hill.

"Hey, woman, wake up." He shook her shoulder, devoid of tenderness.

"Where are we?" still sleepy, Annabelle brushed her eyes, looked around everywhere and got rid of the cloak, showing her vast, messy hair.

"This is your hiding place." He got out of the carriage and raised his hand to Belle, so she could do the same.

Geting off the vehicle, the girl stumbled over the wheel and fell directly into Hitomi's counselor arms, her face against the white and fluffy Baboon's fur.

"Clumsy girl!" he grunted, holding her arms.

She raised her misty and sleepy eyes and tried to unravel the man under the mask. Annabelle could've sworn she saw Hitomi's face, but with scarlet eyes. Naraku pulled away abruptly, making her wobble.

"Take this" in the distance, that White Baboon threw her a spherical object. Provided with quick reflexes, Annabelle grabbed it against her chest, then some kind of a giant bee came out from a small hole in the ball and stared her closely.

"W-what is this thing?!" She jumped back and threw the object on the ground, shrinking herself as if she were in great danger. Naraku laughed as always.

"It's a _Saimiosho¹_ "

"What?!"

"A poisonous youkai insect" he explained calmly.

"Oh, _that_ I noticed! But what am I suppose to do with it? I don't want to get stung!" Almost purple of jitters, she kept pulling herself back every time the bug approaches. "Shoo, shoo!" Anna tried to pull it away shaking her hands. Suddenly another bee got out from the hole making the lass freak out. "Ew!" she ran and hid herself at Naraku's back. The Baboon laughed even more amused. "It isn't funny! Take these bugs away from me!"

"These youkai obey me and are here to be my eyes" he clarified "Through them I can show how you are to the Young Master, and if you need something he'll know. He asked it for me in person."

"Alright..." she settled "but couldn't be butterflies?" and kept her position behind Naraku's back until the two giant bees returned to their belonging place.

"Stop complaining and enjoy the company, it will be the only one you'll have for quite a while." his teeth showed extremely white within a wicked grin. He untied the white horse from the chariot and prepared to rode him. "Oh, I almost forgot!" the counselor took out a silver dagger that was tucked inside his blanket's collar and tossed it down, making it sink into the grass. "Your Kagewaki Hitomi asked me to give it back, you may need. See you soon, Annabelle Rose" after spell her name in a deep, dark tone, Naraku went away and vanished beyond the hills, fast as an arrow.

* * *

She didn't like that situation at all. Tree days passed and she had received no news from the castle. The foreigner lass was tired to pick up flowers and herbs on the valley, she couldn't stand eating only fruits and vegetables any longer. And, above all, she couldn't stand missing her Young Master even more than she was.

At night, two apparent strangers approached the plateau. A shadow appeared at the window, it was the red-haired woman admiring the starry sky. She noticed the two silhouettes walking in the dark and ran into the woods, hiding the dagger behind her back.

"Who's there?" she asked.

" _Anaberu_..." that voice – she could recognize it from distance. The sweet sound made her unlock the guard and ran to his place, almost begging for another tight hug.

"Come with me" she took his hand and guided him. Annabelle was so hurry that she took a while to realize that, for some reason, it was hard for Hitomi to accompany her steps. "Is something wrong?" she worried. "You are unwell again, aren't you?" She kept guiding him, but carefully. "That's because I'm not in the castle with you, but we'll solve it very soon."

"You don't need to bother with that" his legs moved slowly, heavily.

"Thank you for bringing him here" Anna finally spoke to Naraku, who was there all the time, following the couple in strange silence.

In the cabin, lit by a small bonfire on the dirt floor, Annabelle could see better the bad situation her fiance was in. He was pale and sweaty, probably the lad had a high fever before arriving there.

"You shouldn't have traveled under these conditions..." She smoothed his wet bangs with her fingers. "Naraku, please, could you bring me some water from the river nearby? There's a bucket on the outside, next to the cabin's door." The girl asked.

The baboon went out unwillingly. Alone with Kagewaki, Annabelle excused herself to undress his upper body part. Hitomi, shy as he was, took of the ivory sleeves carefully, making them fall as curtains on the floor and showing his delicate features in front her eyes. His arms, chest and belly well designed as his serene face, his tender almond globes.

" _Anaberu_..." he said her name as a polite protest when her soft palm came down and rose from chest to the belly. Her eyes were closed, her mouth a bit opened.

Her white and warm aura surround them, wrapped her hand, went into Hitomi's skin and made him feel better instantly. Intrigued, the lad asked what that was and Annabelle, instead of answering, request him to open his mouth – what he did without a glance. Her wet lips brushed against his and something warm drained from them into his throat. He felt a weight above his body, it was she sitting over him, cornering him between her legs. Her skirt rose enough so her knees and thighs could be seen and she didn't seem to care. His trembling fingers passed over her dress' ribbons, climbed up to the moon pendant adorning her neck, rounded it and rested over her collarbone. Annabelle took his hand and made it go down a little bit, enough to touch her left breast.

"I can't wait to make you my wife" Kagewaki said in ecstasy.

"There's no need to wait for something our nature is begging of" She whispered into his ear, then kissed him again, lifting the her long skirt with her hands even more. Annabelle wanted him so much, her very soul asked for surrender, don't caring about consequences, just wishing to give herself for him.

"Naraku..." Hitomi moaned.

"Leave him be" she persisted the kiss, even more passionate.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, brought the water you asked" At the door, he unresponsively dropped the bucket on the floor and remained there, stand still. _Indecent woman_ the Baboon thought with fire draining from the eyes.

Only Annabelle could felt it from him, but this time she would not let him disconcert her as before. She stared at him, intense and challenging. So, she rose up and let her skirt fall down, covering her legs again. At last, the fearless girl went to Naraku, stopped in front of him and bent down, never breaking eye contact. He almost felt naked in front of her, it was like she could see him beyond his flesh and capture his spirit. _What the hell is that?_ He felt paralyzed for instants and his orbs widened. Then, as nothing had ever happened, Belle turned back to Hitomi, brought the bucket next to him and sank a piece of cloth into the water. Then she passed it on her sweetheart chest and face, cleaning him.

"Young master, we can't take long" Naraku announced when he was recomposed "Soon, the _demon slayers_ will be summoned up"

"That's true" he sighed " _Anaberu_ , we decided to call a family of youkai hunters to kill the giant spider.

"What a good new!" She vibrated with joy and helped him to get up. "Naraku is right, you must hurry, my lord!" Annabelle gave him a lot of kisses in the cheek, and in his forehead.

Watching them leave the cabin and fade beyond the hill, she felt hope grow inside her heart. Before he went his way to the castle, Hitomi said "soon I'll be back" and she knew how honored he was.

* * *

Days passed by, a week was completed and her dearest Kagewaki Hitomi never showed his face again. Annabelle had already tied her clothes on her horse's back, intending to return to the great damned castle. She just had to finish dressing. The girl had chosen a beautiful light pink dress with small pearls embroidered on it's lace sleeves. It was a beautiful piece, yet Anna didn't finish dressing the first light layer over her body. She was tying the white corset for the layer underneath. A few row of ribbons must be tied and she would be done. Then she heard steps out of the cabin and stood on alert. Anxious, Annabelle moved her body slowly, turning herself to the door way and saw _him_ standing there in silence, as he was watching her.

"My lord!" Her eyes widened, happy to see him again, yet her mouth wasn't able to smile. Even she was relieved, she was paralyzed. Her arms hang down, hands rested without moving a finger, without a single try of covering her body dressed only by the first white and thin layer, molded by a corset that she hadn't finished to tie.

She _wanted_ to be seen.

"Annabelle..." He stared her with those brownish beautiful eyes, serious and straight, as he never did before.

"You learned how to utter my name..." impressed, she commented in a soft voice and remained where she was, standing and without moving. "Where is your faithful counselor?"

"I came on my own today" the man told, seeming to be more strong and healthy than ever, and decided too. Until that moment, his hand was resting on door's frame. So, he finally started to walk within the cabin, as he did it his fingers slithered the wood frame on entrance. Hitomi never got his eyes away from hers.

They didn't have to say anything else, cause their bodies could communicate in perfect synchrony. In every step he took, Annabelle untied a ribbon's row. When Kagewaki was a few inches away from her, the lass had already untied halfway of the corset's front. Rushed, her future husband put his fingers behind the missing ribbons to be untied and pulled them impetuously, opening that part for once, exposing the white thin fabric behind, almost transparent. The corset hit the floor.

Their noses brushed, splitting hot breaths, blending them as if they could become one and if Annabelle thought Hitomi couldn't be even more intense, his next gesture almost made her loose all senses. Without ceremony, the young master placed a hand between her legs, over the silk that covered her shapes, and moved two fingers around that wet and sensitive spot. She squeezed his shoulders as her eyes rolled in pleasure. He suspended her body, her back against the wall, her legs held him and made that embrace even tighter.

"Make me your woman" she whispered pleadingly and he, satisfied with her request, smiled before consuming her lips in a deep voracious kiss. Together, their bodies fell upon a tiny _tatami_ in the corner of that humble hut's inside. One above another, entwined and hungry for surrender their desires with only the moon and stars to watch them.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 _ **Saimiosho¹** \- _I don't know how you name them in english dubbing. I usually use the dubbing's names when I write my fanfics, because for me it is better to contextualize, and because I'm a very nostalgic person too LOL. Yet, since I never watched Inuyasha series in english, I don't know how to name that giant bees in your language. I'll apreciate if someone could help me with those nomenclatures. :D

Well, what more to say? Next chapter will be **18+** for obvious reasons. _Ku, ku, ku, ku._  
I'm so excited to translate this one! I never did it before.  
So, I'm anxious waiting for opinions and theories! I believe that you already noticed where am I in the cronology of the series that far.  
Thank you all for supporting my fic favoriting it and reviewing it.  
Kissuuuuuuus!


	8. Sweet surrender

Heeey, guys! I did it faster this time!  
As I told, I was pretty anxious to translate this one, and I've been doing it for a while, to be sincere and it was very, very hard... because, you know, every language has its own expressions to some things, and despite I've read many fanfictions in english, I forgot many of them. So, I had to change some metaphors I used in Portuguese, and... whatever! I don't want to flood you with explanations... LOL  
Hope I'm doing a good work in here.  
Before leaving this chapter for you to read, a **WARNING** : it's not recommended for people under 18 years old.  
Yep! Call it **LEMON** , **HENTAI** , etc.  
Good reading!

* * *

 **Chapter 8 – Sweet surrender**

Annabelle gasped, Hitomi's body was pressing hers and stealing the air from her lungs. Her mouth opened a bit more, his ravenous tongue insisted on overcoming hers, she enjoyed it and tried to retrieve his passion entwining her very tongue with his and they pressed, licked, slid over each other, tasting flavors and temperatures, tasting how sweet desire could be.

And then, sudden as it all began, the young master parted their mouths and stood at her in silence, both were gasping.

They looked at each other intensely, woman and man were surprised with their own actions. After swallowing a bit of saliva and wet her throat, the western girl found enough courage to take her lover's hand and rest it over her pulsating breast. Hitomi almost felt the softness of her skin under the tenuous fabric. That was the last layer of clothes over Anna's body. He would have only to untie the lace of that nightdress, and her chest curves would be naked in front of his eyes. The lad could already see her breasts shapes; beautifully designed.

His heavy raven curls fell over his shoulders and chest, poured out as curtains around them, making his kimono looks even brighter. At that point, After both bodies rub against each other upon the humble futon, his suit's collar was wide enough for his shapes could be seen. He was more tough and strong than she could remember – Annabelle thought when she caressed his pale skin with her anxious fingers, opening his top clothes a little more.

In response, he pushed the ribbon and undone the lace of her dress, and then, with the same will, slid one hand over her thigh, rising her dress' skirt to her belly. Still, there was one piece of clothing hampering the way, covering her wet intimacy. Kagewaki pulled it down while he was kissing her neck, licking the bristly skin and leaving a wet trace with his hot saliva.

"Ah!"Annabelle moaned when felt a bite, stronger than it should be, there where his tongue was playing and slowly going down. In contrast to the rudeness, he laid a gentle kiss on the skin marked by his teeth. At last and without his dearest White Rose noticing, her pinky rosebud was uncovered in front of his sight and ready to be touched. After Hitomi opening her legs with care and glare at her delicate cavity, a larger smile has been shown in his face and then one of his fingers caressed slowly that warm spot making the girl's body shiver. Her back fell off the bed as her eyes rolled, his touches around her most sensitive area grew intense, making it swell a bit. Godess, how could he know exactly where to touch her?

...And why did he stop it so suddenly?! Her cerulean eyes opened and focused on Hitomi getting rid of his kimono's heavy sleeves. The azure orbs got stuck in the view: his pallid chest and belly shinning under the moonlight. So, Anna tried to sit for helping him to untie his kimono's strip, but he blocked it pressing her against that tiny futon, his hand holding her wrists over the top of her orange head.

So, the lad got rid of that strip by himself. The young master was dressed only from the waist down.

 _He looks so different, so irresistible..._ She thought as she bit her bottom lip and widened her legs even more. There was fire within that brownish eyes, and she was burning. His fingers touched her once again, opening her sliding great lips to see better her entrance and explore her tumid clitoris with his middle finger, circling and groping it first, and then increasing the intensity of those caresses.

He felt her warm and shaken, yet Kagewaki didn't seem to get enough. He finally released her wrists to use his hands for rising her tiny white dress to her neck. So, he leaned his body over hers, now his mouth could reach a pinkish nipple and suck it slowly.

Her hand grabbed his hind-head and pushed some black strands of hair. So, her fiance held her breast firmly while his tongue played with that steep nipple and his other hand kept touching her femininity. It was so slippery luscious that one of his fingers didn't find trouble to get in, as another still caressed her smooth button, preserving her apex of pleasure.

She trembled from head to toe and couldn't contain the wild moans escaping her throat.

"Hitomi..." Annabelle whispered, watching him lick her fluids over his fingers with lust.

"You are sweet" He said after licking his own lips as if he had just tasted a delicious delicacy. "I want more".

"So come and take me" she grabbed his hands and brought them back to her body, making them touch her belly and rise to her breasts, rubbing them gently. "Everything here is yours to take" and with that, Hitomi pressed her breasts within his fingers, willingly.

They kissed again, voracious and desperate. Annabelle felt something burly inside his pants, he was rubbing it against her entrance and she liked it so much that she leaned her hips forward, intensifying their encounter. The girl could almost feel it pulse, even it was covered by fabric. Without thinking twice, the foreigner lass dropped that piece of clothing covering his parts and undressed him, that way would be better for her to have a daring attitude – to catch his hard member into her hand. This time, was Kagewaki the one who shivered. Her fingers caressed his inflated glans and descended the entire length of his mast. Hitomi held her hand and induced it to move faster, harder. Her success made him grunt hoarsely while his dark eyes closed tightly and he ceased the kiss to bite his bottom lip.

Annabelle watched him take a deep breath and open his eyes a little slow, with effort. Meanwhile, his pulsating member was nudging her gap, searching for space while squeezing itself and rubbing her extremities. The sky-eyes closed and she caught her breath, arching her body forward, her internal muscles were moving as they were a snake interior which would swallow the prey as his mast pushed inward her.

Even she was soaked inside, being slowly penetrated made her feel a strange pressure within and that was painful. Not an unbearable pain, but an incommodious one. She pressed her mouth against his shoulder and stifled a groan, her nails started to scratch his back, the raven hair covering his skin. Then, Hitomi's fingers contained hers violently and his hands arrested hers over the futon next to her face. Their bodies sealed, she was warm and sweat and he cold and soft. Their noses touched at the moment he pushed himself inside her again, this time even more fiery than before.

A shrill scream escaped Annabelle's throat and was silenced by the rapacious mouth of the castle's heir. Holding him between her legs, the ginger woman felt him shake and couldn't guess what mysterious mix of fury and lust could make someone growl as he was, as if her protector was trying to contain a beast within. He gritted his teeth while moving his phallus slowly into the tight cavity.

"Annabelle..." he moaned, his lips against her ear. The lad's voice sounded deep and intense. Would it be for she was making him a man after all?

"My lord..." she answered in a tender tone, her body and soul surrendered to him. Her cheek rubbing on his, and her warm wet walls massaging his member within, even she was still in pain. "Ah!" Anna bit his neck when she felt his glans hitting deep inside.

"Do you want me to stop?" his kindness temper returned and within that swirl of unusual news she recognized her sweet Hitomi facing her with worry and care inside those angelic eyes.

Annabelle's response were a discrete smile and shaking her head, she denied his question. She didn't go so far to stop right there. That was certain. So, she caressed his face and took of some hair strands that were persisting to cover his nut-brown preciousness. She preached him between her legs, confining him inside her. His mouth was straight, yes his eyes seemed to smile narrowed. And finally he left all ceremony behind to do whatever he wanted.

Hitomi pushed himself inwardly and withdrew in the same way, then he entered slowly and alternated his intensity according to her body's answer. Annabelle was contorting herself to the bone, she turned her face to the side and closed her eyes, but a firm hand held her chin and induced her to keep looking at the man's face, now with her cerulean eyes widened.

"Look at me" it didn't seemed a request, not at first "I want you... to look at me, please" then his tone changed and it was apparently shy, as if he regretted of being indelicate unintentionally. However, if in his speech Hitomi was censoring himself, in his avid onslaughts he remained dominant and voluptuous.

It was hurting, yes, but at some point pain mixed with pleasure and the foreign lass couldn't discern if she wanted that act to cease or last forever. She couldn't seal her eyelids, or look to anything that weren't those passionate, torched, pleading eyes craved on her. Belle never seen him so anxious and devoted before. Hitomi was moving himself inside her even more abruptly, as a tornado. The futon dragged on the floor as the young master was making the two bodies shake with his movements. He pulsed within her, chills escaped through his teeth, his eyes closed brutally, and he tried to control his breathing as he knew his moment was coming soon and he wanted to make it last... then he was pushed away and fell seated over the floor.

Wide-eyed, he was preparing to scold her "What the hell?!" then his wrath ceased as fast as it began and he smirked. The agile woman squatted over him, took his member into her firm hand and pointed it to her entrance again. Then she lowered her hips till her gap swallow him entirely and sitting on his lap, Annabelle wiggled her body.

"You are the most stunning creature I've ever seen" Hitomi confessed in a whisper, as his fingers caressed her belly till his hands reached her breasts again.

Flattered, she smiled, wrapped his neck between her arms and sealed another kiss while their coupling remained intense. He grabbed her thighs and helped her move with even more ardor. And, as if devouring her mouth wasn't enough, his tongue escaped to lick her chin and his teeth took a bite on it. His fingers entwined her nape's auburn locks making her lift her face up and stare the ceiling, so his hot tongue took over her neck again, tasting it every texture, going down to her shoulder and sliding between her bouncy breasts while she danced frenetically over him.

Doesn't wanting to feel all that pleasure alone, Kagewaki slipped his thumb over her rosy button rubbing his pelvis, and then he massaged it blandly. The sweet sound of her moans were a response for his touches, Anna was loosing control over her body and the more she trembled, harder he touched her. After a short and discrete laugh of his, her legs lost strength after a deep orgasm. There was the chance Hitomi had to revenge for being pushed down minutes before. He threw her over that tiny futon and laid his body upon hers, then he caught her legs making them lean over his shoulders, putting Annabelle's body on a position he could see her wet entrance better and put himself inside easily. So, his erect member turned to get into that slippery walls and this time the lass felt no discomfort to receive him. It was like her shapes were made for him, so warm, so tight...

Then, while penetrating her wildly, Hitomi used his thumb to caress her clitoris again and provoked another uncontrolled reaction. As their bodies rubbed each other and her lover was moving himself inside her – up, down, again and again – in frenetic thrusts, Annabelle lost her innocence at last, and her articulations shivered again. Her moans and gasps were like music to his ears, a little while after the red-haired girl cum, the young master lived his very moment. It looked like he was able to choose exactly when he would release his seed inside her, and so he did.

His shaking weight fell off Annabelle's body, and then they moaned, gasped together inside a sweaty embrace. At last, they looked each other in the eye, the blue ones smiling tenderly, and brownish ones – indecipherable.

Before her two cerulean globes could make him fall apart, Kagewaki threw himself aside, laying beside her on that small bed. Annabelle turned her body and insisted on looking at him with that sweet smile on her face. Those almond eyes rolled over her shapes and went down, so they noticed a spot on the white bed, between their bodies: _blood._

"You were a virgin..." he said incredulous "It's a little reckless to give yourself that way, don't you think?"

"I'm not afraid to follow my instincts" Anna answered convicted as she laid her head over his chest. "Do you regret it?" then she raised her head a little, so she could stare at him. Hitomi's eyes were looking at the ceiling, distantly.

"No" he told, and his mouth showed a smile as if he was surprised by his own response. "But you're a woman... I mean, someone could misunderstand your actions and took advantage on you".

"I know you wouldn't do this to me" she smoothed his cheek, and then caressed his lips with one finger.

"How can you be so sure?" he stared curious at her "And if you were mistaken about me, what would you do?"

"I would move on with my life, happy for having an opportunity of living all of this, not because someone forced me, but because I wanted it. I'd rather regret doing what I wanted than living in frustration for didn't have the courage to do it." she sighed, serene and smiling "But I know you're not this kind of person, my lord, so I have no reason to worry about".

He arched one eyebrow, feeling puzzled. Was Annabelle a woman ahead of her time, or in her homeland that was the habit?

"If people find that you've slept with me, they will judge you. Aren't you afraid?" Kagewaki touched her warm face and caressed it, and she held his hand, keeping it there. Within those big and bright blue globes, he saw almost naive tenderness and confidence.

"Many people loose the opportunity to be happy because they fear others' judgment, because they fear to have their reputation stained, or because they fear disobeying society's rules... I know who I am, you know who I am and that's what really matters to me. If our feelings are sincere, if our instincts ask for something inevitable, why should we deny it? Because it's a 'sin'? Human beings invented the 'sin', my lord. In the end, we're all like animals, we are free from right and wrong, we are free to feel and demonstrate what we feel, without titles, without lands. I want my life to be full, cause I don't know what will come after... and..." she settled her body over his and stroke those beautiful raven locks "I want to share this fullness with you".

His brown orbs trembled a bit confused, and a bit amazed. He stood quiet.

Lost is his own ramblings Hitomi looked at the ceiling again while he was caressing the ginger head over his chest. At last, Annabelle was feeling so comfortable that she fell asleep.

* * *

The golden light of dawn burned in Annabelle's eyes and she felt compelled to wake up. She ran her hands over the futon and realized she was alone. She sat, rubbing her eyes, then got up, dressed that white and tiny first layer of clothing and went out the cabin. She saw no one over there. Had Hitomi left?

Suddenly, a shadow covered the morning sky, Annabelle raised her eyes to understand what was happening and took the biggest scare of her life. There were giant monsters floating together, many of them had centipede's shapes, others were more like colorful insects and spiders, and some of them even had humanoid appearance – their heads and arms. They flew through dark clouds quickly, so tangled in each other that it was impossible to tell where each began and ended.

So, Annabelle did what she should have done in the night before, she wore the fancy pinkish dress, put her package on horseback and rode him, making her old companion run as faster as he could to the castle road. Maybe she could intercept her dearest young master on the way, however, who appeared in the middle of the woods was no one less than the White Baboon.

"Where do you think you're going, Annabelle Rose?"

 _To be continued..._

* * *

I'll be very pleased if you tell me what you're thinking about what happened, guys!  
If you want to send me words suggestions (which one is more appropriate, etc) for moments like that one over there (hentai/lemon) I'll be very thankful. I don't now how to call intimate parts in english without they sound too literal and I'm not so sure that the ones I chose make sense within the context.

So, see ya in the next chapter!  
Kissuuus and thanks for following my fanfic!


	9. Bitter revelation

_Hey, guys! Did you missed me?_  
 _Here I am again, bringing you some news..._  
 _Thanks for all the ones who are reading, please leave some reviews! I'm curious to know what you're thinking about this story. :3_  
 _In this chapter, you'll can remember the series and see some nostalgic characters!_

* * *

 **Chapter 9 – Bitter revelation**

"Where do you think you're going, Annabelle Rose?" the White Baboon appeared in front of her with a spherical object in his hand, similar to that one he gave her once.

"I won't stay here waiting any longer! Did you see that?!" She pointed one finger to the sky still darkened for a giant malignant energy.

"Did you forget what your young master said another day? Here is your place."

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to disobey him." She pulled the reins of the horse, preparing to jump over Naraku if it was necessary.

"You two have a great night, right?" his inquiry made Annabelle freeze.

"How do you know about that?!" then the saimiosho's nest in his hand elucidated her "Were you watching us?! How can you be so filthy?" she almost screamed, her indignation making her blood boil within her veins.

"Ku, ku, ku, ku. How stupid you are, woman..." he mocked "Do you really believe that, after yesterday, Kagewaki Hitomi will still want anything from you?"

"Don't talk about things you don't know!"

"You already gave him what he wanted, there's no reason for young master see you again and he sent me himself to tell this so." a tenuous smirk showed up under that baboon's mask.

"It's a lie." Annabelle claimed confidently.

"Do you really thought he would marry you – a foreigner girl with no name, no lands? You have nothing to offer him".

"Naraku, get out of my way" she said in a warning tone.

"He seemed to be quite interested in a certain demon slayer that is under his care though. What was her name? Oh, yes! _Sango_." He continued to tease her.

"If you don't get out, I'll make my horse go over you!" Feeling anger burning inside her, Annabelle warned as she made the animal jog.

He stayed. So, Annabelle fulfilled the threat and made the horse run careless about what or who was ahead. Naraku jumped agilely on a branch of the nearest tree.

 _She is more self confident than I thought._ The Baboon concluded. Some saimioshos got out of the nest and, by Naraku's command, they followed the foreigner girl. Then, Hitomi's counselor vanished as he was made of smoke. In his place, a wooden object appeared over the grass. A single strand of dark hair was around it.

* * *

Annabelle rode her horse into the depths of a forest, rising and going down some gaps, crossing small streams, taking a break just to feed and hydrate her road fellow, then their journey continued. As soon as she passed by the first village, Anna noticed she wasn't wearing her cloak and gave into despair for seconds. Oh, but she didn't have time to waste with that!

 _Damn it all, let them see me!_ She thought, tired of hidding her features to protect herself of people's ignorance.

And she was chased down by men, women, elders and children with torches in their hands. She tried to ignore them while the persecution persisted. She didn't look behind because she had the nature in her favor. At last, her gift served her well and suddenly, the branches entwined and closed the path, the forest turned into a labyrinth to Annabelle's delight, and she was out of sight.

 _Why can't I find that fucking castle?!_ She lost her temper as time was passing by, days turning into nights, and her chest got tighter and tighter.

* * *

"Keh! There you are making me waste my time helping human people!" the silver haired half breed grumbled, his dog's ears shooked.

"Inuyasha, we need the money if we want to survive. Unfortunately, it seems that our search for Naraku's whereabouts will be longer than we thought" his monk friend said and hit his head with a golden stick.

"Shit, Miroku!" Inuyasha snarled as his fellow laughed amazed.

"They say a certain youkai passed trough another villages and now she's approaching this one." The demon slayer commented. "People are terrified."

"They also say she is gorgeous!" The monk sighed.

"Miroku, you don't change!" a little fox youkai spoke, he was carried by a teenager with school clothes.

Miroku gawky laughed while Sango looked at him disapprovingly, her arms folded beneath her chest.

"How weird..." Kagome showed herself thoughtful "We didn't hear about she hurting someone. What if she's like Inuyasha?"

"Like me? What do you mean, Kagome?!" Grumpy, Inuyasha narrowed his golden eyes.

"I mean, maybe she is a good youkai." she answered.

"Are you saying that I'm a nice stupid guy?!" He puffed out his chest with wounded pride.

"Here she comes!" An old man announced and pointed his finger to a caramel horse entering the vilage slowly, tired. Upon the animal, there was a dejected and expressionless woman.

Inuyasha, impulsive, drew his _Tessaiga_ and prepared himself to a fight. However, his braveness last a few seconds before he realize that the lass had no youki, besides, her weary body slid from the horse's back and fell like a sheet of paper on the floor, fainted.

"She's human and isn't well at all" Inuyasha sheathed his sword and looked at his friends.

Kagome ran to the ginger lass and touched her shoulders making her almost wake.

"Hey, what happened to you?"

The foreigner girl rolled her dewy eyes as a response. Miroku went to Kagome's side, took Annabelle in his arms and led her to the hovel where he and his friends would spend the night. The villagers looked curious and confused at them. How possibly that girl wasn't an yokai?!

"There are many people like her around the world, you have no need to worry. She's just a woman like me" Kagome explained peacefully. Then, she walked into the hovel where Miroku's attitudes were being watched by Sango's eyes. Shippo was holding Kirara in there. Inuyasha was the last one to enter the humble place. His suspicious wasn't a secret.

"Poor girl..." Kagome wept compassionately "It must have been quite a journey for her."

* * *

Annabelle slowly woke up, the scent of a juicy food brought her back to the world. She sat down, still dizzy, there was a tray beside her grass bed. She didn't think twice before take that bowl of stew and devour the food, not caring about any etiquette rules.

"Are you alright?" a girl dressed in strange clothes asked her. The others stared at her in silence, they were shocked by her appetite and the squeezed way she swallowed the soup.

"Who are you?" Annabelle asked and put the bowl aside, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Who are _you_?! I don't even know you and you're already causing me trouble!" Inuyasha had to be grumpy, as always.

"Inuyasha..." Kagome threatened him with her gaze and he stopped. After that, she turned to give some attention to the unknown girl and explained to her who was everyone in the group: "My name is Kagome." She smiled friendly "This is Shippo." and lifted the tiny fox demon in her hands, he was also smiling. "There are Miroku and Sango, and the bad tempered one, as you can see, is Inuyasha." She commented playfully, not caring about his boring amber orbs staring at her. "Gee! You're really starveling, aren't you?"

 _Sango?!_ Annabelle recognized that name at the moment it was pronounced. She craved her blue gaze at the imposing, beautiful female figure. She felt cold in the lower abdomen and bitterness in her throat. The redheaded woman took a deep breath, swallowed saliva to disentangle herself from that bad feeling and, pretending to be fine, she answered the girl who was so nice to her: "I haven't eaten for almost five days."

"It's better bring more food to her, then!" Miroku said with his eyes widened.

"You look like a Disney princess" Kagome commented in amusement "Where re you from?"

"I do not know this realm" Annabelle referred to the famous studio of the current era and made Kagome laugh a bit. "I came from Highlands, Scotland" she answered Kagome, but still staring at Sango. She was real after all, there was some true in Naraku's words. However, above the mistrust she might be feeling lay the memory that the young master's health was extremely fragile and there was no one to help him in her absence. "How is _my lord_ Hitomi doing?" She asked directly, a little bit jealous, but even more worried.

"Oh!" Sango was surprised by that question. "So you met him too..."

"How is he?" Annabelle insisted.

"I-I'm sorry, but I don't know..." Sango answered mournfully.

"There are many days I'm trying to find the castle, but I simply can't." Annabelle confessed.

"And you won't, for Naraku's sake." Inuyasha said without courtesy. "That bastard is hiding himself."

"Do you know him too?" her cerulean eyes widened.

"Of course we know the son of a bitch! We're after him." The half breed dog demon answered with a confident smile in his face.

"Why?" She questioned, something inside of her making her feel shivers.

"Naraku wants to get _Shikon no Tama_ fragments together and turn himself to a complete yokai, if he succeed, he'll be invincible and his atrocities will have no end." Sango revealed spiteful.

"Shikon no Tama... What?" Annabelle rubbed her forehead, her head throbbing in disorientation.

"Did he hurt you?" Miroku asked, kneeling beside her and holding her hand.

"Me? No, but... What if he did something bad to Hitomi?!" Annabelle panicked.

Sango wanted to tell something, but chose to change the subject: "You must rest. In the morning, when you're feeling better, we can calmly talk."

How could she sleep suspecting Naraku made something wrong with her Hitomi?!

"Who Naraku really is?" She asked nervously. Annabelle was sensitive, she could see in those people's expressions a deep knowledge about the White Baboon, she also saw much hurt in their features, as she saw a vengeance desire in their eyes.

"Naraku..." Kagome started, but Inuyasha censored her with his gaze. "What's the matter? I think she deserves to know" and she continued "Naraku is a half breed demon that was born from a fusion of many yokai and a human bandit called Onigumo." then, Kagome came back in time and told Annabelle about priestess Kikyo and her love story with Inuyasha, she told about Shikon no Tama's power, how much Naraku wanted to gain it and the tragedy he caused because of his dark desires. As Kagome was narrating the past, Inuyasha went to the door, crossed his arms and looked outside quietly.

So, Naraku, that creature spared no one. He delighted in the suffering of others. Why?

Annabelle realized that her fiance's counselor tried to turn her against Sango and her own beloved and more; Naraku also conspired for Hitomi mistrust her once and his dark intentions almost succeeded. The ginger lass felt the same shiver of a time ago going down her spine. Her eyes trembled, moved by those sad tales about love disagreements caused by such a White Baboon. Her whole soul shook of indignation. How sadistic was the conspiracy he set up, Annabelle froze in dread, because deep inside she knew that she could be another victim of Naraku's plots.

"Kikyo and Inuyasha weren't Naraku's only victms" Miroku said as he was holding his own hand. He was serious in a way Annabelle wasn't seen yet. Then, the monk told her everything about his family curse - Kazaana - and he told about the day he saw his grandfather being swallowed by that hole within his hand. His dark eyes trembled sadly, Sango looked down and kept in silence, if Miroku showed himself melancholic, Sango seemed very angry in the otherside.

If everything Kagome and Miroku said was true, Hitomi's life was in great danger and every second Annabelle was spending in that little hove with that people was sacred for her to attempt to save him. So, the lass got up abruptly.

"Where are you going?" Miroku asked.

"I'll search for him." the woman decreed "I'm going to search for _my lord_ Hitomi!"

"Hey, calm down..." Sango interceded as she touched Anna's shoulder, making her sit again "What's your name?" and the demon slayer seated by her side.

"Annabelle Rose" she introduced herself in a hurry.

"What an awful name!" Inuyasha laughed spontaneously.

"Inuyasha... _Sit_!" Kagome finally lost her patience and appealed to _kotodama'_ s power. The poor hanyo fell like a tree over that wooden floor. This time, Annabelle was the one who was laughing. Even she was nervous about all things she had listened, she couldn't resist such an odd situation. Inuyasha stared at her and complained, feeling shy. So, she cleared out her throat and gained some seriousness again.

"Anna... _erh_... Anna." Sango gave up pronouncing that exotic name completely "Listen, I need to find that castle as well. My brother... or who should be my brother is under Naraku's custody. So, rest tonight, and tomorrow we'll search for Naraku's castle together." the demon slayer stroked the shoulder covered by an embroidered pearl sleeve and smiled to her.

Annabelle unlocked her guard and returned that understanding smile with another. Sango had a tender aura within a warrior body, even if the Scottish lady wanted, she wouldn't be able to have bad feelings about such maiden with heroic gestures. Naraku failed once again when tried to manipulate her.

Inuyasha gave up being unfriendly, after all his friends decided to shelter that girl, for the night at least. Above the hovel roof some demon bugs were flying.

* * *

The group slept in the same cubicle, everyone scattered. Sango arranged the beds so that Miroku would stay away from Annabelle. After all, the monk had a very bad reputation.

As much as she tried, the foreigner girl could not keep herself on alert, she was very tired. Annabelle fell asleep and in her dreams the giant black spider appeared only to torment her as always, and this time the monster held the handsome _daimyo_ she loved between it eight, long hairy paws. Annabelle tried to reach him, yet she was bound to a web again. The white strands swayed, there was some other creature there, it was coming closer. It was crawling by her left side. She desperate turned her face and saw _him_. The greenish monkey snout sealed to her pale cheek, those crimson eyes twinkling in voracity.

Annabelle woke up screaming loud, then she touched the straw bed, looked around all hove corners and realized she was alone in there. She could hear an intense noise outside, monsters were growling, they sound similar to that yokai horde she saw flying in the sky days ago. So, she got up and ran to the door, leaning against the frame.

There was a boy kneeling on the grass, his finger trying to reach his own back. Once he did that gesture, a purple light escaped from his nape and reflected on Annabelle's eyes. For the first time she had contact with a fragment of the cursed jewel.

A _giant boomerang_ – so she called – hit the giant sword of the lad with silver long hair and threw it away. Sooner the blade decreased in size and showed itself as an ordinary and rusty katana. Annabelle ran to Sango and stayed by her side.

 _This boy must be her brother!_

The demon slayer took Inuyasha's sword in her hand, surprising everyone. Decided of what she had to do, she called her pet yokai Kirara and then, the boy pointed his finger to the ginger woman.

"Naraku wants to see her" his woody eyes remained expressionless. And so he departed, riding a giant colored centipede.

Annabelle didn't loose time and sat at Sango's back, riding the feline demon with various tails. Her chest was panting, her blood flowing swiftly all over her body to the point she could feel it. Her skin burned as her flaming eyes, anxious for the truth.

The two women were covered by the glow. The path suddenly turned into an extensive shine with no right directions. When the blinding light ceased, an imposing castle unfolded behind the vast purple curtain of miasma. Annabelle recognized her home once clear and ornate by a fancy garden, now lurid and desert. It was all _dead._

They landed on the roof, at a place opposite to where a dark voice announced itself, charging Sango to deliver the promised saber. The demon slayer threw her boomerang in the voice's direction and it craved on the roof. Finally, the baboon revealed himself seated over the entrance stairs.

First, he glared devilish at the anxious western girl. She felt like she was impaled into his gaze and stayed still. Her eyes and mouth opened in shock. After, Naraku greeted the other guest.

Sango jumped from the roof to the floor.

Annabelle witnessed the confrontation between a perverse monster and a desolate human. She finally knew what fate the demon slayers called by Hitomi's father had. They all died trying to defeat the giant spider that was around the property. She also discovered that they were Sango's family. More and more her heart was trembling, her hand shaking while she pressed the moon pendant in her necklace. The whole world spun around her, and only stopped when Sango dealt the blow that tore the blanket of her fiance's counselor in pieces.

His long, black hair spread, his noble purple garments unveiled, and when the gale settled the curling curtains opened to reveal a familiar face.

"It isn't possible..." It must have been an exclamation, but her voice came out choppy and weak. Annabelle released the pendant, her inactive arms swaying with the lightness of the breeze. Those scarlet globes were smiling, staring at her immersed into the darkest of pleasures.

Did he want to tear her up inside?

"You are the young master of this castle!" Sango said, startled as well.

"Kagewaki, a great leader indeed... He ordered a great funeral for the demon slayers that died" He narrowed his eyes and widened an evil smile. "Oh, yes, he also ordered that your life should be saved."

"Did you kill him?!"

Annabelle didn't want to hear Naraku's answer. An inexpressible pain struck her and pierced her like an arrow. Her turquoise orbs, however, remained dry and opaque.

"Kagewaki Hitomi... now _**I**_ am the master of this castle." and with those final words from his she knew...

She would never see her Hitomi again.

The blue of her eyes whitened completely. Her fingers tightened, and the land that held the property began to shake.

Sango and Naraku leaned forward trying to keep their balance. Both were attentive to the red-haired woman rigid body floating down from the tiles and hovering lightly to the floor like a wandering ghost.

"Na...ra...ku!" her mouth rumbled creaking as albugineous rays were falling from the sky and trying to hit him harder.

 _Who is this girl?!_ Sango stared astonished.

 _Damn witch!_ Naraku jumped from one side to another, trying to avoid the light arrows hunting him.

He felt deep anger and an unbridled desire to hurt her. At the same time, he felt strong admiration for the unknown power she emanated, which he associated with the resplendent little moon gracing her neck.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 _And here we are, guys! I believe at this point you all know where in the original story we are!_  
 _The confrontation between Sango and Naraku happened on episode 30 - **"Tetsusaiga Is Stolen! Showdown At Naraku's Castle!"**. I just translated from Portuguese their dialogues, but I don't know if it is exactly like English dub, I hope you like it anyway!  
So, poor Hitomi and poor Annabelle... :'(  
Be prepared, friends, this is only the beginning! YEY!  
Kissuuuus and see ya soon! _


	10. Ailyn Rose

_Here I am again, this time I was able to work on this fic and publish sooner!_  
 _Hope you like the chapter! ;)_

* * *

 **Chapter 10 – Ailyn Rose**

Annabelle was leading the white rays with her head movements. The intensive lights were following all Naraku jumps and sometimes they almost hit him. Sango tried to approach the girl and touch her arm. A mystical force, however, dragged the demon slayer away and she fell sitting on the sand.

"Do not interfere!" Annabelle's voice sounded strange, totally different from what it used to be.

That brief distraction cost her a higher price. The new master of the castle jumped over her and knocked her down on the brown soft earth. With his body above the shinny and delicate one, Naraku's ambitious smile increased and his fingers pressed that crystal moon adorning her neck, wanting to steal it for himself. When he least expected it, the same force that made Sango fell threw him away, he was was brusquely repulsed. His body flew first, after it fell in free fall, crashing the roof, entering the castle against his will. Frightened by that unexpected event, Naraku took advantage of being protected inside to send Kohaku out.

Big doors opened, the boy appeared within a massive red light. Naraku's voice echoed from inside, teasing Sango to fight against her own blood. Annabelle was even more furious and the alabaster radiancy surrounding her grew even more. She was shaking.

"Your body will collapse!" Sango warned her, and she was right.

It was too much for Annabelle to take. After sending a couple rays to chase Naraku, she fell unconscious on the sand. As she lost her senses the purple venom returned to evolve the sky dome.

* * *

 _It's already daytime_. Annabelle thought as soon she opened her eyes and stared the desert landscape. There was no building around, not even a single plant. Naraku was gone and the castle seemed to flee with him.

She saw people around, looking at her figure with worry in their eyes. Bit by bit, she could recognize them, they were the group from another night.

"What was that?" Sango asked her as she helped her to sit.

Annabelle felt a bitter taste within her mouth, the image of the demon slayer was bringing back her recent memories. Annabelle got up in silence and tumbled backward until she was a little far from them.

"What the hell is she doing?" Inuyasha curiously questioned.

"Who is she?" Sango wandered "She could have killed Naraku, I'm sure of it!"

Inuyasha laughed unbelieving. After all, that girl was just a human person and doesn't looked like a priestess at all.

"Annabelle..." Kagome followed her carefully "We wish to talk to you... Annabelle?" she called her for a second time and the ginger woman gave no response, she knelt on the ground instead, and gently ran her hands over the grains of sand. Kagome knelt as well, staying at her side and staring her close the azure eyes and pressed her ear to the floor, seeming to hear the sounds coming from below.

"What are you doing?" Kagome asked.

"I'm looking for..." Anna spoke.

"Looking for what?" the girl insisted, she couldn't understand what the lass was trying to do.

"It's not here." Annabelle took portions of sand in her hands and threw them away. Then she violently started to cave. "It's not anywhere!" She screamed.

"Oi! What are you talking about?!" Inuyasha came closer.

"His body!" Finally, Annabelle found the edge of her despair and lost all control. Tears came down her face as waterfalls and splashed from her chin. "His body! Where is it? I need to find his body!" She compulsively punched the ground.

Everyone sympathized her suffering, even the supposed insensitive hanyo. His golden eyes analized her, then he held her by the arms and lifted her up. Annabelle kicked the sand, shook her legs, frantically struggled all her body and Inuyasha kept seizing her tight.

"Stop it! It won't do you no good!" He scolded.

"How could he?!" She yelled, broken into pieces "How can someone do such a horrible thing to people? What does he earn destroying people lives?"

Kagome, more gentle then Inuyasha, came by her side and held Annabelle, trying to solace her.

"Thank you..." She felt cherished and returned the hug "I'm sorry, I can only imagine how much you all already suffered in the hands of that..." she stopped the phrase before speaking an inappropriate word. "Sango, I'm so sorry about you and your brother..." Annabelle faced the brave warrior lass that was analyzing her from afar. "Please, forgive me for loosing my temper" She humble asked for them all.

"Don't worry about it, you were a victim of that bastard too." Sango answered as she was petting Kirara in her arms. "But... what was that?" She was talking about Annabelle's performance last night.

"Oh, that... I was born with that power, it's part of me." she sighed.

"Are you a priestess?" Miroku questioned.

"No" Annabelle seemed to be bothered to talk about that matter, Kagome noticed it.

"Hey, listen, why don't you come with us?" The girl from a distant era proposed. "You must wish that Naraku's atrocities end up too, and if you have such a great power as Sango described, you could help us". She smiled friendly.

"To come with you?" Annabelle found herself surprised by the invitation and just didn't know how to deal with it. She wasn't use to have company and her last experience on that was a disaster.

"Why not, _Anna-hime_?" Miroku got excited about the idea. "If you come with us, no one else will hunt you down thinking you are an yokai."

"Houshi-sama..." Sango stared him with her scathing brown eyes.

"Even because there's only one yokai in this group!" Shippo said as he looked at the ginger haired girl a little bit shy.

" _Two_ yokai" Inuyasha immediately corrected him.

"I was talking about completed yokai" the little fox showed his tongue to his friend, and received a punch on the top of his head. "Inuyasha, you idiot! Why did you do that?!" Shippo complained.

Annabelle watched them thoroughly. That band were so united, they seemed to be persevering and unusual. Definitely, they shouldn't be the kind of people who are used to rashly judge the others. She felt tempted to follow them, because she felt welcomed, for Kagome mostly. After all, she missed fondness and company, she would like to have some friends to talk to, to share experiences.

Then Hitomi owned her thoughts again. She was devastated. Anna took a deep breath trying to control her emotions, she wouldn't aloud them to take over her again. When she less expected, there was she away again, lost in her daydreams.

"Your horse" Kagome brought her back to real world. She was pointing a finger to the animal "We brought him with us, your stuff are on his back".

"Thank you..." she started to walk by their side, and when she was next to her horse, Annabelle announced: "I have an idea about what to do with Naraku," They stared at her in curiosity as she continued speaking "it can cost me, but I won't look back".

"And what kind of idea it is?" Inuyasha crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

"Let's go to the nearest lake or river, I need some water." the red-haired woman smiled hopeful.

They accepted her idea, their curiosity asked for it. They would need to find a stream soon or later anyway, to bathe and indulge their thirst. Why not going with the lady and help her finding it so? And then, they would find out what she had in mind.

So, they walked together and talked about many trivial things. Annabelle didn't speak much, she would prefer to observe them, their funny features, their collection of amazing stories... Above everything, they were strong. They were capable to overcome their individual tragedies and embraced each other as a family.

 _In another life, maybe I can have such friends. Who knows?_ She moaned in her reveries. Finally, her feet were upon the lakeside.

"Can you help me?" Anna asked to Sango, because she was the nearest person. The western girl was trying to reach the row of clasps on the pink dress' back.

"Inuyasha, Miroku, you two leave us now!" Kagome guided them, and the foreigner lass covered her lips with a hand, containing a laugh.

"Can I stay?" Shippo asked maidenly. The little fox was still confused by the last events, and mostly with the new person in his group. His cheeks were blushing as he stared at her.

"Of course you can, little one" Annabelle tenderly answered his request, making him blush even more.

"It's not fair" Miroku whispered at Inuyasha's ear.

"You pervert!" the hanyo scolded him, and finally they left.

Sango waited a bit, till she had confidence that there was no adult masculine presence around them. As she didn't see any suspicious movement, she opened button by button while Kagome helped Annabelle to take of the heavy sleeves. The pinkish dress fell gracefully on the grass and Belle was covered only by a thin white layer of silk and her ivory corset. So, she untied the laces of her boots and pulled them out, then she lifted her skirt up to her thighs and tied the cloth there.

A dagger was tucked in a strap tied around her leg, Annabelle unsheathed it and exposed the razor sharp clear as a mirror, where her face reflected tenaciously.

As she entered the water and her body immerse to her waist, she brought her left hand closer to her face. Anna touched the blade's apex, took a deep breath, closed her eyes and concluted:

"From now on, there's no coming back" and she opened a deep wound on her palm.

"What is she doing?!" Kagome feared for her.

Annabelle ran the bloody hand on her face, painting it red. Then she laid her palm on the lake's surface and the scarlet fluid drew arabesques in the transparent liquid.

"I'm here, come and find me" She whispered and the arabesques turned into roots that were shining bright as if they were made of rubies. Some drops of water flew against gravity laws, as some orange locks of hers.

Kagome felt something strange in the air – darkness was lurking around as a dense and mystical fog started to form and circle the trees, covering the grass till it gathered in front of Annabelle in a woman's shape.

" _At last, you open yourself to me and let me find you!"_ the female voice, a little more deep than Annabelle's, echoed. The black mist faded to emerald green and started do gain a concrete form. Soon, vast golden locks of curly hair materialized as also one pair of eyes so clear blue as Annabelle's was, but not so pure. There was something wicked inside them, and painted in red in that woman's lips as well. Her features were identical to the red-haired girl's, but her thin smile was denouncing she was a person who followed a doubtful path.

"Ailyn, I need you." she confessed, even she was disgusted with herself to have to summon that woman.

The smirk on the blonde lass' face grew and she threw the black shroud that was covering her body away, showing herself in a fancy red western dress with black lace sleeves, her hands were covered by velvet gloves to the middle of her fingers. A golden ring with a beautiful vivid green gem adorned her little finger. Definitely, she was a vision so as Annabelle was, but she wasn't so friendly though.

"What do you want from me?" The woman in red walked over the water, lifting up her skirt to not let it get wet. She stopped over land, in front of the red-haired one and waited for an answer.

"I want you to help me to conjure the weapon." She was direct to the point, showing the cut in her palm, Anna delivered the silver dagger on the other lady's hand. "After finishing my task, I'll come to you. You have my word." Then she lifted her wounded hand and delivered the dagger to Ailyn.

Sango and Kagome stood in silence and watched the blonde woman take off one glove, catch the dagger and make the same cut in her own palm, as it was a ritual. So, Ailyn put her hand over Annabelle's and blood entwined their wrists as is was a scarlet chain. The two western women closed their cerulean eyes and whispered ancient foreigner words. It was like they were singing an ancestral chant, a song old as time itself, down from heaven to this ordinary Earth. As their voices sounded so harmonized, a light half dark, half white covered them and shined through the eastern girls eyes. When they could realize, Kagome and also Sango felt mesmerized by that mystical radiance. Shippo embraced one of Kagome's legs and pushed Sango's skirt, yet they didn't answered even he was whimpering insistently.

"What is happening, Kagome?" Inuyasha came out of the woods impulsively, because he felt something strange in the air "Hey, what's this?!"

"Wow!" Miroku sneaked through the thickets, believing that he would see beautiful women bathing in the lake. But the monk had to settle for watching the bizarre scene of two lasses with raised arms, cloudy eyes staring up at the sky, lips repeating a kind of unknown mantra.

From the nocturnal welkin, a bright ray descended and fell between the two women. They danced around that light with their hands entwined till the shine fades and a crystal clear weapon appears craved in a stone. It was a little bigger than Annabelle's dagger, it's blade looked like glass and was curved like a hook. Its ivory handle had a drawing of a silvery tree.

Annabelle bent down, pulled the dagger and held it in her hands. She smiled proudly, and then she turned to her new folks and assured them: "With this, we have a chance to defeat Naraku."

"Remember, Annabelle, we have a deal" Ailyn warned her. After, the blonde lass' shapes turned into mist and she disappeared into darkness of the night.

"Who was she?" Kagome asked as she came out of trance. Shippo jumped in her arms, relieved.

" _Ailyn Rose_ , my sister" Annabelle told.

* * *

Into the depths of the forest, they lit a fire and sat around it as they talked.

"So you're a descendant of the Celts?" Kagome asked in wonder as she helped Annabelle to clean the wound in her hand, and bandage it with gauze and plasters from the future, stored inside the yellow backpack.

"Yes, me and all my ancestors..."

"Wow! I heard something about the Celts, but even in my time their History is very mysterious."

"In your time?" Annabelle asked intrigued.

"Oh, it's just a way to speak, you know?" Kagome laughed.

"What are they talking about?" Shippo whispered on Inuyasha's ear.

"I have no idea" he said as he shook his shoulders, not caring about such matter.

"Well, my sister chose a different path" Annabelle told.

"She has a sinister aura" Miroku commented as he scratched his chin.

"Ailyn surrendered to black magic" the ginger lass laid down over the grass and kept her blue eyes on those dancing flames warming and protecting them from cold nocturnal breeze.

"And why did you ask help to someone like her?" Sango interrogated. "It can turn against you".

"Only day and night, darkness and purity, together, can materialize it" she drew the weapon tied around her waist. "That's the price."

"And if you kill Naraku with the dagger, what will you give to her in return?" Sango insisted.

Annabelle turned to the other side, avoiding to prolong the conversation. She didn't want to speak about it anymore, for what would happen next concerned her, and her alone.

"Hey, miss... are you alright?" Shippo touched a lock of her orange hair carefully, the little fox demon seemed to be worried.

"Yes, little one. I just need some sleep, I'm tired..." She smiled.

* * *

It was still before dawn, Annabelle opened her eyes suddenly and sat down. Her companions slept, the blond woman was behind a tree, as if waiting for her.

One sister went sneaking to the other. Ailyn gestured with one hand, asking to be followed. Anna accepted the invitation, she pulled the horse by the reins and went right behind. They went down the hill without speaking a word and reached a moor.

"Who is the victim?" The woman with golden curls asked.

"Someone who deserves to take the final blow" she laid her hands over the white handle.

"Do you know where to find it?"

"I'm waiting him to come to me"

"You're a genious, Annabelle" she instantly laughed. "Don't you even have a plan?"

"Why do you worry about that?"

"Well, I want what's mine by right, and as fast as possible"

"Look" Annabelle pointed a finger to a demon bug approaching them "He is watching us"

"Really? Does that _thing_ belong to him?" She gazed to the saimiosho, close enough to be caught by her impetuous hand.

Ailyn stared into that little beast eyes, trough them she glimpsed a castle hidden behind a purple cloud of miasma.

* * *

 _What?!_ Those bloody red orbs widened in surprise. How could anyone find his hiding place so easily?

A barrier formed around his gloomy home. He didn't know what Annabelle was plotting, but he would be prepared for anything. Prevention is better than cure.

* * *

Dressed in her classic blue dress, Annabelle rode her faithful stallion and galloped away. She did as her sister told – ran without looking behind, ran for hours, till the sun rise up. To that moment the group must found out she was missing, but it was too late. Her destiny was sealed. She arrived, at last, in the desired and feared place she once knew and almost called her home. There was a barrier between her and the castle. She smiled confidently.

"Do you really believe that's enough to stop me?" Her palm touched that pink force field and made it splatter.

It might take a while, but Naraku noticed that Hitomi's fiancee would still be able to cross the energy barricade and catch up with him. Then, the hanyo decided to take advantage of another card in his sleeve. After all, Naraku was the master of tricks, wasn't him?

"You can't hide forever, Naraku!" In the end, she broke the barrier as it was made of glass and there was she, in front of her young master's former address. "Why don't you come and welcome me? Are you afraid?" She teased him, even she was anxious and scared. Her hand laid over the handle of the reaper weapon, tied at her waist.

"Here I am, Annabelle" He finally came down the steps of the entrance ladder, exposing himself smiling and well-dressed in Kagewaki Hitomi's robes. "I knew that soon or later, you would come to me. It seems we have a lot to talk about." With a false smile on his face, he bowed to her and said, in a mocking tone: _**"My lady"**_

The hand that was preparing to pull the dagger hesitated. She came down from the horse's back. Her legs walked up to the wicked man, her arms extended to him and when they were close enough she tightened him, holding him in a miserable embrace.

Naraku arched a black eyebrow and smiled wretchedly.

"Poor Annabelle Rose..." He pretended to be sympathetic to her and put an arm around her waist, one hand caressed the top of her head."From now on, I'll take care of you".

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 _Well, well..._  
 _Tell me, dear readers, what do you think will happen next?_  
 _I'm curious about your expectations. :3_  
 _Kissuuus, see ya soon!_


	11. Pity

Hello, guys...  
Okay, I know, I know... I am VERY, VERY late and I'm really sorry! I was not only without much time, but also I was feeling a bit unmotivated (not only in translating, but writting as well). So, this week I had not much activities and could dedicate myself to do some things I like. For almost two years I wasn't drawing, for example, and a day ago I made this new cape for Web of Lies! I hope you like, even the characters have big heads and Hitomi and Naraku are looking like ladies. LOL ^^'  
So, I'll leave you free to read chapter 11, and I'm anxious to know what you all felt about that.  
Good reading!

* * *

 **Chapter 11 - Pity**

"Poor Annabelle Rose..." he pretended to be mercyful and circled her waist with an arm. "From now on, I will take care of you" he said as his fingers caressed her long ginger locks, then his hand laid heavily upon her hindhead, inducing the girl to raise her face and look at him, forcing her to painfully contemplate his visage.

"Master Kagewaki!" the very same samurai group who tormented Annabelle in the past were still on the property, ready to protect Naraku with their own lives. One more reason for the foreigner lass stay inert.

"Annabelle returned to us, tell the maids to prepare her chambers" the usurper ordered emotionless.

"Where is Hitomi?" She asked weakly, looking him within the scarlet eyes, in hope to not forget who that man really was.

"Here" he pointed to his body, showing a dark smirk on his lips. "I am the castle master. Ask my servants and my guards, they can tell you" The mockery in his gestures made her feel nauseated, her body was still captive within his deadly embrace.

"Where is Hitomi?" She asked again, this time her tone was harsh. Her bandaged hand slippered over his hard chest, ascended to the clear kimono's collar and grabbed it. "Where is his body?!"

"Well, you are touching it in this very moment" cynical, Naraku persisted treating her like a fool, and sadistic, he pressed her wounded hand inside his. Some blood wet and stained the bandages. Her moaning of pain encouraged the wicked hanyo to squeeze her body against him even more, keeping her so close that she could feel his warm breath on her cheek.

Finally, the illustrious visitor turned away from his grip and kept her injured hand close to her agitated breast.

"Please, tell me where he is!" Belle changed her ways of interpellation, suddenly the rage has left and melancholy took over that indecipherable blue eyes of hers. "I beg you..." she lowered her head, showing resignation.

"Oh, poor thing..." he faked sweetness in his voice, but it was hard to pretend empathy. The half breed demon couldn't stand much time without laughing of such an odd situation. Others suffering was his great delight. "He is dead, Annabelle. What could you do about it?"

"I... I just want his body, that's all. Give me his body and I'll do whatever you want in return" she gazed at him again. How arduous was to look at someone who belonged with her once and notice that the one in front of her was just a painful illusion, a facade. Inside that being there was nothing more than evilness.

Annabelle's offer sounded irrecusable. Naraku had in front his crimson eyes a creature provided by an unmatched power, even that woman shouldn't know the magnitude of it. Glazed on the moon hanging on her neck gleaming between her angler bosom, Naraku came closer once more and touched the delicate crystal. Inevitably, his fingers brushed against her soft skin.

"I want you to serve me, you shall be my slave. I want your power in my favor. Is this gem, isn't it?" He asked, his voice low, in a torturing and seductive rhythm.

As times before, the foreigner lady found herself bristly against her heart's will. Her hand, melted in blood, covered his and kept it rested over her pendant. Blue and Red blended without a single glance. One tried to unveil and disarm another, catching a struggle of strange sensations.

"Tell me where he is, and I'll be yours" as Naraku, she spoke low and surrounding.

 _Stunning Creature..._ His eyes and his grin widened. He was tempted to yield to those human instincts he so badly wanted to wipe out from within as if he had never known them. For the first time in his life, he shared his attention with a woman who wasn't _Kikyo._..

Hold on! A single human female was enough to cause him troubles, even she was dead! What was he thinking about?! His large smile faded, he pushed Annabelle through the necklace and with his mouth against her ear he said:

"There is no body, Kagewaki was swallowed by my miasma. That's all you can find of him in this world, the appearance that now is mine. _Ku, ku, ku_!" So he pushed her collar, undoing the knot that held it to her neck, catching the crystal moon in his palm. _Could this jewel be as powerful as Shikon no Tama?_

Annabelle wanted to believe Naraku was lying, however, he seemed to be the kind of person cruel enough to murder his victims and leave no trace of them. All her hopes vanished as if they had never existed and a unspeakable fury possessed that mourning woman. Her body joints stiffen. On the other hand, the crystal moon in Hitomi's counselor hand became opaque, intriguing him.

"You made a big mistake" the white light covered her and almost blinded that ruby eyes of his. In two steps, Annabelle made herself so near that she could sufocate him with her pure aura.

Before Naraku could move away, she held his wrist and took him in her arms, just as he did before. His every body part stopped to obey his command since then.

 _What is the meaning of it?_ Stupefied with her abiliity to corner him like he was an easy prey, Naraku felt the air escaping his lungs. Even his power to form barriers around himself was disabled. _What is this power?!_ Those widened and trembling rubies locked on the dangerous beauty.

A purple cloud surrounded them. Miasma, the venemous reaper of Kagewaki Hitomi's life now was ready to take over Annabelle's as well. Yet, the scintillation around her was like a protective shroud, so the evil youki couldn't touch her. Poison had no effect, he realized. He would have to pierce her with his tentacles before her immaculate energy purify his soul.

"Argh!" he had no time to defend himself before being stabbed. Naraku felt a blade strike his back and cross his chest. Pain tore him apart, he felt as he was burning inside. Never in his life, the hanyo knew a weapon that could make him feel such a torment. That damn woman stabbed him while she embraced him! His body collapsed and began to twist itself, uncontrolled like an agonizing spider, and the more he struggled to get away from her, more his body persisted in disobeying him.

Another twinge of pain. This time the blade craved his chest. She hit him again.

The infernal burning inside intensified, his clothes began to disintegrate as his body stirred and transmuted. Eight black and long legs sprouted from his back, tried to strike the lass, but turned into dust as soon as they touched the white veil of light guarding her.

The suffering Naraku was already lying on the floor and the red haired lady was sitting over him. She was shaking while spinning the dagger within his flesh, tearing it apart. Annabelle cried, her shoulders up and down frantically.

The demon arms oscillated from human to scaly. His monstruous hand tried hard to reach her neck.

He _failed_.

Would that be the end of his? Would his life be taken by the hands of a paltry woman? His eyes were struggling to close, but the stubborn hanyo insisted on facing her. Annabelle ripped the dagger from his chest and jumped from his greasy body, she was clearly terrified. Her nervous legs couldn't gave her the required balance and she fell sitting on the dusty sand floor. She embraced that shaking legs and put her chin over her knees. Beside her, Naraku was still in pain, but never gave up on looking at her. What he saw, though, were a pair of azure eyes that didn't reflect satisfaction or wickedness. In fact, they seemed to be worried. She gasped, bathed in mucus expelled by the injured spider demon body.

Anna watched him changing to a lot of youkai rotting pieces, she gazed his pale skin being consumed by many burns and all those excruciating screams caused unbearable whistles in her eardrums. She tapped her ears and closened her eyes tight.

Naraku would die in suffer. Why wasn't she happy then? Why didn't she feel avenged? It was her chance to rid the world of that pestilence and she was hesitating?! Even she was covering her ears and closing her eyes, his suffering drove her into _remorse._

Her clear and sad orbs opened and glimpsed his, plunged into despair, as his body was beginning to fall apart she made a decision.

"I cannot" Anna whispered, convincing herself to accept her own failure.

So, she gazed the cloudy sky, she gazed the mystical knife in her hands once so white and now darkened by Naraku's aura and closened eyes again. Taking a deep breath, she squeezed the dagger while her hands were covering it with her shine. Her power from birth finally broke that blade into pieces, making the weapon desapear in sparkles and turn back to it's origins.

At last, she gave some attention to her victim again. With her heart broken by her bitter choice, Annabelle threw herself over the hated white baboon, pressed his fatal wound with her shinny hands and touched his parted lips with hers.

Before he could protest, Naraku felt immediate relief. His eyes, once widened in despair, now was almost sealed. Some of this tentacles tried to strike the Scottish lady, but gave up when a thread of light poured from her mouth into his, sneezing inside his throat.

His lips opened wide and his head rose, making their mouths pressed against each other. That light entering him caused the great comfort sensation he had in his whole existence, in contrast with the calvary he lived minutes before. He felt cherished by the mildness of that unusual aura.

For the first time in his life, Naraku felt himself in peace.

All that mess made him confuse, although. He wanted to tear her apart for what she'd put him through, at the same time he wanted to keep her there, over him, he wanted to feel her warm radiance and that strange feelings it could bring for as long as time could last. Such power seemed to be able to reconstruct him in a different way, from outside and, maybe... from inside?

His skin was pale and soft again, bit by bit his features turned to be as Hitomi's. His arms calmed down and landed on the ground with palms facing upward. His fingers moved subtly, regaining control of their joints.

Naraku recovered only part of his forces though. Before he was stabbed by Annabelle's weapon, he was unlucky to be hit by an arrow thrown by Kagome that day when Anna found out about his new appearance and Sango fought against her own brother in his castle. He knew that if Annabelle wanted, she could heal him completely. However, she ceased the act and rose up slowly, tooking her weight of his body.

"Witch, where do you think you're going?" the terrified guards were trembling as they were holding their swords. They watched everything without any courage to intercede and even at that very moment they couldn't left their positions, frozen in fear.

Naraku sat down languidly, he was still feeling some pain inside, but he was safe, thanks to her. He looked for properly words, although he was sagacious and always knew what to say at the most inopportune moments, this time the hanyo wasn't finding a way to express himself. He didn't know how to act, his legs carried him to the girl without noticing. As she was slowly going away, the false Hitomi followed her like he was a sleepwalker.

"What do you..." he didn't even know how to ask her. "Why, Annabelle?" Then he held her by the arm and turned her to him, oblinging her to deal with his physical appearance one more time. She turned her face to the other side, the half breed held her shoulders and shoke her impatiently, till she opened her eyes and stared at him again. "Why did you waste your golden chance?" His vocabulary was recovered at the end.

"Because I wanted so." Her skin was cold and she was panting. "Farewell, Naraku" she tried to get free of his touch, but his impetuous hands pushed her closer instead. Barely cured, was Naraku already toying with her sentiments? Everything Annabelle wanted in that instant was find a whole where she could put her head within, she couldn't believe her costly failure.

"Or was it because you have seen your Kagewaki Hitomi in my place?" _It can only be this_ , he thought. Humans emotions were inconstant, certainly Annabelle saw through him the image of her beloved and couldn't go forward. "Huh, of course you have." he smirked wickedly as his fingers loosen their grip and slipped back to her arms.

"No" glazed only into his eyes to not deal with her lost love features, she seriously answered him. "I saw _you_ , the dephts of our essence... and I felt _pity_ ".

 _Pity?_ His injured and outraged eyes burned in anger. Did she think he, Naraku, was inferior to her? He clenched his hands tightly, placated with anger and prepared to teach that creature a huge lesson.

"You failed" a unknown blond woman came down from the skies, tenebrous mists surrounding her, and her sudden presence ceased any possibility of that discussion proceed.

"Don't worry, I'll keep my promise" Looking resigned, Annabelle raised one hand to her sister. Her feet lost contact with the ground. Hand to hand, the women floated away without giving any chance to be followed.

Naraku was still astonished and didn't have time to think about doing something. Even he was disappointed with the abrupt interruption and despites the hanyo knew he was out of risk, his body was still weak and he didn't have intentions of putting himself in danger so soon, not after receiving a new chance of life – or something like that.

 _Pity? How dare she?! She can send her damm pity to hell if she wants!_ He thought as he found her opaque moon pendant buried in the brown earth. He took the gem and fixed his eyes on it. Was it his impression, or did the object show him the place where Annabelle's twin was taking her?

* * *

They landed in front of a colossal tree, it high roots were wreathed by moss. Ailyn touched her forehead on that peeled trunk and caressed it with her hands. A portal has been opened. She entered first, Annabelle followed.

They were swallowed up into a gloomy swamp, illuminated only by fireflies yellowish lights. The two sisters walked together through the heart of those dark woods, both were lifting their long skirts to not get dity with mud. They arrived in front of a bed of stone, countered by weeds and little lilac flowers. Upon the cold rock, a transparent tunic and a silver knife waited for Annabelle.

"When the moon shines red in the sky, you'll know what you have to do" Ailyn guided her.

"No need to worry, I have no intention of resisting." Annabelle spoke while her relative was helping her to take her dress off.

* * *

 _What the hell is that?_ Naraku wondered, settled into Kagewaki's room, sitting comfortably with his back against the wall and watching the scene trough the glass shaped in moon forms.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

So, the dagger Annabelle had in her hands, combined with her power, was a very poweful weapon and she simply WASTED it because she has a good heart. HOOOEEEEE!  
Please don't hate her, that was a very important moment, especially for Naraku. You'll see.  
Let's hope I can publish the next chapter soon!  
Kissuuuus and thank you all for following and reviewing this fic. S2


	12. Sacrifice

Hey, friends! This time I came sooner, just to compensate how late I was!  
(And I had a brief holiday as well)

Have a nice reading!

* * *

 **Chapter 12 – Sacrifice**

"What a strange feeling" Kagome said while she was walking with her friends in the woods.

"What is it, are you feeling some jewel shard presence?" Inuyasha asked with excitement.

"No, it isn't about Shikon no Tama, but..." her hand rested on her cheek, she was contemplative.

"What's going on, Kagome? You look weird..." Shippo looked at her with concern in his eyes.

"I can sense something as well" the monk who was used to spiritual energies stared into the distance. "Look" he pointed his finger tho the soil beyond, covered by a thin veil of mist. "Some supernatural activity is happening nearby".

"I feel a very strong aura, I can't tell if it's good or bad. I can almost see the light..." Kagome walked in calm steps, attracted by that mystical energy.

"Kagome, wait, be careful!" Sango warned her.

Inuyasha jumped up to the girl and walked beside her, aware of any danger around. When they did realize, they were facing a large ancient tree, different from all the flora of that forest. The long vines fell like strands of greenish hair.

* * *

"Look, I made it for you" Ailyn came to Annabelle with a garland of white roses in her hands "Do you remember how we used to have fun making this?"

Annabelle emerged her naked body from a rounded bathtub made of wood logs. Her blond twin helped her to rise, took off some petails of her orange locks and skin, and covered her body with the transparent cloak taken from the huge bed of stone.

"I am ready" Annabelle announced in a inexpressive tone.

* * *

"Have you seen the moon?" Shippo jumped and pointed at the celestial sphere hidden behind the broad leaves in the treetops.

Miroku touched the tree trunk and felt something vibrating inside.

"There was a gateway here, but it's closed now" he revealed.

"A gateway?" Inuyasha bent his head to the side like a little pup, visibly confused.

"The strange energy I feel seems to be on the other side... What can it be?" the time traveler girl was apprehensive. She touched her ear to the tree trunk and closed her eyes, concentrating herself. Kagome could swear she heard voices beyond there.

* * *

"Lay down" Ailyn pointed to the stone bed.

Annabelle paraded gracefully, the tunic dragging across the wet earth. Before sitting, she laid her head down so her sister could garnish her head with a crown made of scented flowers. When she laid on bed, white petails was poured over her. Ailyn trown them from a basket.

"Stretch your arms over the stone" The fair-haired lass ordered as she covered her curls with a black hood.

Annabelle took her hands off her belly and did as she was told for. At that moment, her heart started to beat fast and her eyes trembled before the red full moon in the skies.

"Open your mouth" her twin gave another orientation.

The rosy lips opened maidenlike, she felt a bitter liquid down her throat. Her eyelids tightened in response.

"You don't have to be afraid, you'll sleep and won't feel anything" an icy hand caressed Annabelle's face as she began to feel slumberous.

Her arms and legs seemed so heavy! Even she wanted to raise up, she woudn't be able to. Her eyes narrowed and the world around her spinned. The fireflies ceased to be bright spots and formed circles, spirals, words in an ancient language.

* * *

"Inuyasha, something very bad is about to happen! We need to get inside there!" Kagome suddenly yelled. One hand over her chest was trying to contain all furious heartbeats. A piece of gem adorning her neck sparkled.

"Oh, Kagome's Shikon shard is..." before Sango could finnish her phrase, the high tree trembled and a lot of leaves and branches fell.

The earth shook and time stopped for a few seconds.

"Kagome!" Shippo hugged the girl and she held him tightly, the two of them shrinking, trying to protect themselves.

"Behold!" Miroku's eyes reflected a white passage openning through the thick trunk.

* * *

Clear teeth unraveled through reddened lips in a greedy smile, then the woman in red and black laughed loudly. Ailyn stared at the alabastrine wrapping of her consanguine as she pulled back the black cloak and drew a small blade from her cleavage, yet large enough to pierce someone's heart.

* * *

The crystal moon on Naraku's hands oscillated from opaque to gleaming and warmed his palms. His orbs crimson as the moon in that night contemplated the young lass of the golden hair raise her arms up and point the sharp dagger to Annabelle's bosom. Something inside him made he feel uncomfortable. The spider hanyo felt a sort of cold run into his belly, making him dizzy.

 _What is this?_

He wanted Annabelle's **power**.

He wanted Annabelle's **body.**

If Annabelle got killed, Naraku would lose his chance to make her a servant of him, and – who knows – to absorb her skills.

No! He was the only one who had the right to decide if the foreigner lass would live or die. So, the half breed demon hurriedly got up, wore the baboon blanket over his purple kimono and hid his face under the mask.

His fingers closed around the pendant, then something he would call as "intuition" told him to just wish to be in the place where the ritual was happening. His eyes sealed, his every shapes blanched till he faded away in flashes.

* * *

A dark fog of youki covered the Blood Moon. The dagger, darkened before, returned to its common color and Ailyn got confused. At the same time, steps of running people concearned her and she turned to face them.

"Hey, what the hell do you thing you're doing, girl?!" Inuyasha arrived first, soon his friends joinned him.

"It's not of your concern!" Ailyn growled, squeezing the dagger handle between her fingers.

"I can feel Naraku's scent, he must be involved in this!" his golden apprehensive eyes fixed on his friends.

"What's this?" Sango felt something hold her by her backside, it was a shapeless shadow.

Ailyn had reached down and pinched her fingers on the ground. From earth, a black mist rose and assumed many forms. The figures surrounded the group, then Inuyasha wielded his _Tetsusaiga_ and started to cut them down.

"They are tormented souls!" Miroku noticed "It's useless to strike them, they're not made of flesh".

"I know what to do!" Kagome confidently said, so she left Shippo on the ground, got ready to take her bow and...

"Naraku, you bastard!" Inuyasha yelled as soon as he has seen his rival hovering gracefully on the other side of the stone bed, passing through the fog created by his very self.

"Did you miss me, Inuyasha? _Ku, ku, ku_ " his smirk showed up under his mask.

"You..." Ailyn was surprised by his presence and recognized him.

"Thank you so much for distracting them for me." spoke the perverse Onigumo's descendant while softly taking the unconscious ginger lass in his arms and covering her with his pelt. "Now, if you excuse me, Annabelle Rose and I have some essues to deal with".

"You monster! Take your hands off her!" Kagome pointed him an arrow.

Naraku used Anna as a shield in front of him without thinking twice.

"Shoot if you dare" He challenged her.

"Wretch!" Sango shouted annoyed, Ailyn's ghosts resisted and still attacked her and her friends, so neither she nor the rest of the group managed to pay due attention to their enemy.

"Release her!" Ailyn pointed the knife to him "She is mine, we have a deal!"

"Sorry to tell you, but your deal has been undone.." and with those words, the hanyo carrying a girl in his hands was covered by a miasma swirl that flew far in the sky.

Ailyn was furious and ready to persue him, but a shinning arrow passed so close her that made a thin cut on her cheek. She turned to the one responsible for that, ready to tear the girl apart and send her to hell, then the blondie lass undestood the real target of that arrow wasn't her, it was the dark purple cloud growing up around the moor. Naraku purposely allowed his poison to spread because he wanted to harm all people in there, including her.

"We need to get out this place!" Sango announced. Her little pet youkai increased size so she could rode it. Miroku jumped over Kirara, joinning Sango.

"You, come with us!" Kagome invited Annabelle's sister, she didn't care about the fight they almost had moments before. "This swamp is falling apart!".

"Have you lost your mind, Kagome?!" Inuyasha complained.

The gateway opened again, not because of Ailyn's skills, but for Shikon no Tama's sake. It's shine reflected in front of the other Scottish lady eyes.

 _I want that._ She sighed, noticing the great power the roseate shard could countain.

"Hurry up!" Kagome spoke to her again, Inuyasha was already carrying her on his back.

The misterious woman gave her no response, she just covered her head with the black hood of her cape again, gave one step ahead and then huge trunks collapsed between her and the others. Ailyn was lost of sight, an earthquake had begun and the sky seemed to be falling down over their heads, red as the moon. Inuyasha jumped with Kagome and Shippo in his back, Kirara followed him, taking Sango and Miroku together.

* * *

It was so hard to breathe, the air around seemed to be dense. Annabelle's eyes rolled under her agitated eyelids, the eyelashes slowly parted and her little summer skyes, still cloudy, looked around trying to comprehend where she was. Her eyes could only see pure darkness.

Her naked body was covered by a fluffy white cloack, her fingers slippered trough and felt its texture, it was familiar. That soft consistence... she felt that once, in a day she stumbled on a a wagon's wheel and was supported by a certain counselor.

Finally, her view was recovered and recognized some shapes. Although the room was very dark, it was familiar as well. The walls and the ceiling were clean and clear one day, now were darkened, abandoned, cold as their new owner. If Annabelle wasn't gifted with such pure aura, she would certainly perish as every living being in a venomous atmosphere such as that.

At last, she slowly turned her face, delaying that fateful reencounter as long as she could. Naraku was sitting next to her futon, although his features seemed serene, he was a little anxious. The hanyo wore a fancy purple embroidered kimono, over his crossed legs laid his baboon mask and in his extended hand over knee a crystal moon was shinning discretely. His carmine gaze rest upon her misteriously. He didn't gave a glimpse of his malicious smirks, his lips were straight. His vast wavy strands falling over his shoulder, over his chest...

 _How handsome he is._

No, such charm didn't belong to him. It was Hitomi she was seeing, not him.

Wasn't it?

"That is yours" his low voice sounded peaceful.

Annabelle tried to raise her body, she rested her weight on one of her elbows and kept the cloack over her breasts to cover them. To sit down was a martyrdom, her head spinned. After all, she was still weak because of Ailyn's potion. Her head leaned back and forth a few times until she regained control and managed to keep glimpsing the man, the monster, or whatever he could be.

Her fearful hand approached his, caught the pendand and brought it close to her chest. Suddenly, the gem shone bright once again.

"You almost let that woman murder you. Why?" he seemed curious.

"Why did you save me?" she countered with another question.

"First my answer" He was as irreducible as ever.

Annabelle sighed and hugged her own legs, hidding her face over her knees. Her orange locks fell down a a cascade over her arms, their sweet scent invaded the hanyou cleared nostrils.

"We have all the time in the world..." he pretended to be pacient, his eyes stood still on that creature, in the present she was vulnerable as a common human. He could tear her apart in that moment if he wanted.

But he didn't.

"End it at once. What are you waiting for?" she said.

"You want to meet your Kagewaki in paradise, don't you?" at some point Naraku needed to recover his mocking tone, it was his nature. "What a pity, Annabelle, he is not there".

"I want to stay away from _you_ " She lifted her angry face. "I want to go to a place where I'll never have to look at your face again and remind myself how weak I am!" she got up with difficulty, Anna was so intent on pulling away from him that she didn't even bother to cover the back of her naked body.

She slowly began to walk, resting her hands on the wall to maintain balance. His calm footsteps followed her, a discreet laugh echoing not so far. Before she could reach the door, Naraku was imposing in front of her.

"Get out of my way" she whispered breathless.

"Or what? You don't have a horse to knock me down, not even enough strength to fight me now." His smirk grew large. "And I, thanks to you, feel better than ever, even after being injured by that girl's arrow. I'm strong enough to give you the punishment you deserve"

Annabelle tried to evoke her power, but it was temporarily sealed. So, she tried to use her own weight on him to push him away, yet all she could do was fell into his arms. Naraku didn't held her or tried to move away. He let her there, grabbing at the soft fabric of his dark robes, sinking her nose in his chest and blowing the breezy air near his neck. The baboon pelt slid down between them and the girl returned to be as the way she came into the world, the only cloth that separated her skin from his was his kimono. The supercilious hanyo laughed once again.

"I wanted to kill you..." she apathetically confessed.

"A lot of people do" he mocked "Who is that woman?"

"My twin sister, she helped me to conjure the weapon..."

"And you offered your life in return, didn't you?" the pieces finally fit.

Annabelle silenced completely, her fingers loosened their grip on the beautiful costume of the castle's new master.

"How foolish of you, woman..." Staring at nothingness, wallowing in the addictive scent of her ginger hair, he criticized her. "You did not complete your goal and even then you would give up your own life. What a waste of such a peculiar power, that could be used to do such magnificent things. This crystal moon in your hands isn't the source of your strength, I have noticed. The thing is inside of you." He held her red locks, forcing her to look into his eyes, then he took her face in his hands. "My proposition remains, Annabelle Rose. Serve me and I, Naraku, will make you forget all sorrows from the past" He brought his face close to hers. Oh, that seductive tone again! And those hands stroking her cold cheeks, then her neck and her shoulders... if he persisted that way, she would lose her mind and that was exactly what he wanted, she knew it, as she knew why he had that malicious smirk on his lips. Once more, the gap between her legs was wet because of him and he could smell it.

"Never!" The indignation gave her the strength she needed to push him away. The white light flickered faintly around her and didn't last long. Naraku fell sitting in the hallway and she collapsed inside the room, yet she found the breath to scold him: "After all, the love Hitomi and I felt for each other has been consummated, we lived the fullness of that feeling and you can never take it from me! This is something that someone like you will never have in life!"

He laughed hysterically as if he'd heard the funniest joke ever, the uncontrolled laughter echoed through the castle. Still laughing, Naraku got up and looked her up and down one more time, then he put his hand over the door, preparing to close it.

"Ailyn can find me at the edge of the world, and she will, you cannot keep me here forever!" She kept confronting him, until he was completely behind the door. "She will come after what was promised to be hers!"

"Then you should thank me for being under my barrier's protection. From now on, your life is _mine_." So he left her in there, alone and awared that he would not let her go, that he would not aloud any one take her from him. _This power will be mine_. He longed for her skills, but it wasn't his only desire. The hanyou remembered in details the moment when he received her light and experienced an unspeakable sensation, that one he could do anything to feel again. _She will be mine._

 _To be continued..._


	13. Kikyo

**Chapter 13 - Kikyo**

" _Oh!" Annabelle gasped when a wistful hand slipped between her legs and gingerly moved one finger inside her entrance, contouring her warm and humid spot._

 _They were laying together, only the two of them within a deep, dark and huge void. His body upon hers, no fabric covering their shapes. His soft mouth spread kisses on her neck, on her shoulders and then his anxious tongue went down, reaching her big round breasts. His raven locks covering his eyes as he left a warm trail of saliva down her belly and went even lower kissing her curves._

" _Hi...to...mi" Her hip arched up as she felt a hot tongue turn over her clit and then slip into her wishing gap. So she tangled the back of his neck between her legs and she scratched the floor that was wet with her own sweat. No barriers, she was fully surrendered._

 _The man of her eyes slowly lifted his head up, wiping the mucus that flowed from his mouth to his chin with his arm. Annabelle smiled tenderly and was ready to say how much she missed him, then she saw the color of his eyes._

 _ **Red.**_

 _ **Red**_ _as_ _ **blood.**_

 _How much innocent blood those hands have spilled? How many evil words those sadistic lips were about to say?_

 _She thought of running away, yet her arms and legs were tied in indestructible threads of silk – his web._

" _No!" she screamed in panic as her whole body started to tremble._

"Annabelle.. _." his irresistible husky tone almost mesmerized her._

* * *

"Ah!" a yell came out hurting her throat. Anna sat up, she was gasping and her white nightdress was attached to her sweaty body. Her femininity was soaked and so were her groins. The red haired woman looked under the sheet and cursed herself for that reaction.

"Did you have good dreams?" the reason of her nightmares was seated by her very side. Since she was captured he used to do that from time to time. However, on that specific night, the bastard chose to dress the same clothes Kagewaki used to wear.

She refused herself to look at him.

"It seems that you had, indeed..." Naraku gazed at her legs, widened under the sheets. "Sleeping has been the only thing you've been doing lately" Then he noticed a tray of food next to her, untouched.

She had been in his scary castle for days, yet she could not scape this time. She was temporary weak and his barrier was confusing her senses so she couldn't find a way out. Naraku seemed to be more powerful and the foreigner lass thought she knew why – he had the pearl almost completed within his shoulder, and Annabelle could remember a strange presence of a woman dressed as a priestess, with dark long hair and cold eyes, her skin white as the moon. Anna heard him speaking the woman's name sometimes – _Kikyo_ – and had the impression that she had already heard that name before, but she was so dizzy by the evil energy surrounding those lands and by the rest of Ailyn's potion within her organism that time and facts seemed to be abstracts concepts.

Naraku was right, she slept too much in the last days.

"You can see it, is it not?" Insisting on that odd conversation, her captor asked in a deep voice while stared her with a dark grin in his lips and some expectation within his eyes.

She was the only one to blame for him noticing the fact, she craved her turquoise globes on his shoulder where Shikon no Tama was hidden after all.

"You, Kikyou, and that girl that walks with Inuyasha... The three of you are capable to sense the shards' presence." He smirked. "To have this huge power within you was not enough" And then he laughed. "After all, you can identify the jewel's energy..." As Naraku spoken, he sank his thumb and forefinger into his own skin, bringing the precious gem – before rosy, now slightly darkened – out.

"I do not want anything with this thing." Annabelle said hoarsely and breathless, then she crawled up to the wall and leaned her back there. Her blanked eyes gazed to the side, running from Naraku's red ones. "You can curse yourself alone".

"You have no idea how magnificent Shikon can be" the stone's purple brightness reflected in his ruby, greedy orbs. "It could even bring the dead back to life. Your Hitomi..." So he looked at her again, his cornered and fragile hostage. "If only you would help me to find the Jewel shards..." the hanyo seductive suggested.

"Forget it." Anna cut him off. "I've already said, you can curse yourself alone. I will not take part on it". She wanted to raise her tone, but was too weak still, so she gasped at the end of the sentence.

"Humpft!" Naraku saved his valuable possession back into his shoulder and got up. After arranging his own clothes, he stared at her one more time and gave her his last words for now: "If you choose to act like this, the days will be very long for you, Annabelle Rose. Anyway, if you do not cooperate, I have someone who does. Get dressed, your clothes are are inside the chest your dear Hitomi gave you, you forgot them as you forgot your horse as well. What a pity that beautiful stallion could not survive my miasma, _ku, ku, ku, ku._ " He left as his laughter echoed trough the walls and corridors, making her shiver in silence.

* * *

Enough time passed for the red-haired lass finally gave up to sacrifice her life to her sister. In truth, she doesn't seem to wanna die anymore, she doesn't seem to want anything at all. She even didn't worry about dressing herself properly, Anna walked around her room in her white-silk nightdress and her corset, her tiny warm light around her as a protector dome, and the full moon outside the window making her shine even brighter.

At the end, Annabelle Rose was a survivor. And even she was more miserable than ever, Naraku couldn't break her completely, she was living by the ashes that life had left – memories – specially one about a night when she gave herself to her beloved one.

"What are you doing?" Naraku entered the room while she was dancing with the wind.

She did not respond. Anna kept her focus on her gracious steps, pointing her hand up as if someone could be in front of her to hold it. The lass was smiling sweetly and reticent. Naraku called her name twice and has been ignored. She whirled, lost inside a world she created so the sadness could not drive her mad.

Those tortuous hands contained her shoulders and made her stop. Her smile faded as soon she recognized him.

"I ordered my servants to bring your harp" he said serious, differently from other times, Naraku looked a little disturbed.

"You are not well." As always, Belle could see right through his soul. "Does this have anything to do with that priestess who has been around?"

"Do not try my patience, woman." he restive warned.

"Kikyo, I've heard that name before... didn't I?" She struggled to remember, and when she did, it was her turn to laugh. "Is not she the woman you killed because you could not own her? How could she come back to life so suddenly?"

"Shut your mouth." his voice sounded more deeper than usual, and there wasn't a trace of mockery in his words.

"I see... You are disturbed because of her." the prisoner's satisfaction made him grit his teeth almost to the point of crushing them. Yet, if Naraku thought she was finished, poor of him. There she continued: "You are disturbed because of her and you are judging yourself. After all, you cannot scape from your essence". With that, Annabelle dangerously came near, closing the distance between them, the sky-blue staring the blood-red eyes without a glimpse. "This is your opportunity to leave me at peace once and for all, I am useless for you".

His impetuous hand grab her neck and lift her above, her back against the cold wall. Her bared feet struggled away from the wooden floor.

"Do it!" Anna pressed his arm between her hands, scratching his pale skin under the purple long sleeve. "Do it!" She repeated, even more loudly and wild, her wide eyes craved on his image.

Naraku suddenly released her. The fragile body made a low sound as soon as it reached the floor. The silent hanyo gave his back to her and moved away. When he left the chamber, a servant arrived bringing Annabelle's golden harp.

* * *

Not so long ago, Naraku found out Kikyo was "alive". She broke his **Fuko¹** spell, allowing those tangled youkai went out the mountain right to him, making him a new body.

While Annabelle was lost between sleep and lucidity, the spider demon took the miko to his nefarious property and tried to manipulate her to fight against her own reincarnation, Kagome.

Surprisingly, Kikyo stole that big piece of jewel that her other part was carefully carrying and gave it in his hands and more, she promised to bring more shards to him, for free, apparently. Kikyo propose herself to do what Annabelle had denied.

The priestess' return distressed his thoughts. Naraku saw himself divided between two gorgeous creatures, secretly desiring them, tormented by fantasies that were worthy of that scalped bandit that originate him.

He hated himself for the ominous inheritance, and he begged that the gem might make him erase the blackness of the priestly eyes, the fire in the hair of a certain foreigner lady.

An angelical sound stirred his interest. It sounded low first, but as he walked trough the corridors, that sweet melody seemed to be more strong, yet it sounded sad and a bit nostalgic. The hanyo stopped in front the door and put his eye in the gap to see it better. Annabelle, thinner than she was before and visibly depressed, was sitting in a bank while playing the delicate strings and singing in a strange language. Although Naraku could not comprehend the meaning of those words, the notes made him understand that it was a song about loss.

 _Kikyou, she is back._ How could it be possible to feel anger and joy at the same time with a discovery?

 _Annabelle..._ then he revived his remembrance of her warm, clear light on that day when she almost killed him, but regretted it. He was addicted to the memory of that feeling, having her so near and with her lips upon his, sharing such a cozy aura. With that girl, Naraku experienced serenity.

At first, her merciful conduct made him feel offended. With time, another kind of sentiment flourished without him notice – a kind of a commotion for one person, at least, dedicate to him something different from hate, something almost like _affection_.

"You are sad." she said as her fingers remained playing that melancholic melody.

"Huh!" he snorted "The most sad and miserable person in this castle is you, Annabelle Rose" and dragged the door, coming into the room. "Could you play something happier?" Naraku sited, his back resting against the wall, his orbs gazing the desert landscape beyond the window's bars.

"Yes, it seems you are in need of it" She sighed lethargic and began to play a folk song from the Highlands.

"Do you care?" his view abandoned the morbid scenery out there to look at her, elegantly seated. Behind his indifference veil, there was some expectation in his tone.

"Would it make some difference?" with her eyes closed, Anna tried to keep her attention in the music.

"Oh, do not tell you started to have feelings for me. Do you?" He regained his sordid mood and approached the matte, yet not obliterated musician. "It would be fun, in a certain way..." his fingers tangled in some of her coppery strands and he brought them to his nose to inhale their scent. His eyes rolled and closed, her perfume made him numb.

"My heart belongs to one man and only, the one I gave myself body and soul." She replied with a trembling voice. Then one of her fingers missed the right string and she played a dissonant note.

Naraku was ready to answer, but a sudden presence did he mute and stole his attention. Kikyo landed outside, embraced by her shikigami. Annabelle finished her humble recital and turned her back to the halfbreed demon. He corresponded to her stillness leaving the room. A few moments later, the Scottish girl moved sneakily through the corridors, till she find the chambers where a Spider and a Miko were discussing. There, she started to listen behind the door.

"There, as I promised." the mysterious woman said after throwing some lilac shards on the floor.

 _So it's her who is bringing those jewel shards for him!_ Annabelle's heart seemed to burn into her chest while her fingers were contracting beneath the silky sleeves. _Why?!_ Her pupils dilated.

"I still do not understand the reason you are favoring me, Kikyo" seated in a gloomy corner of that room, Naraku spoke.

"It seems that we have company" the priestess commented, ignoring his last words.

"Annabelle, what are you doing in there?" his ruby eyes stared at the closed entrance, Naraku already knew she was peeking them.

Belle timidly opened the door and showed herself. At least this time she was dressing one of her fancy clothes, a white silky dress with some golden embroidery that shone in that dark, funereal place.

The two woman of different ethnicities stared each other for long seconds. Their eyes didn't dare to blink, their mouths didn't opened to stammer any sound.

"Behold, Kikyo," Naraku elegantly lift up and pointed his hand to the western lass "a woman who overcome your powers without even possess a priestess title. What a pity she thinks so small and prefers to maintain this asset hidden from the world. While so many people strive for power and strength, this woman just wants to live as a common creature. It reminds me someone..." then he faced the resurrected lady without any courtesy.

"Do not tell me you found a random distraction to try to forget me" Kikyo discreetly grinned. "One more plan that will certainly fall apart, _Onigumo_ " As she presumptuously answered his provocation, the miko walked to the door, confronting Annabelle who was on the way, the ginger one seemed to be aphatetic as a marble statue. "You" by Annabelle's side, shoulder almost against shoulder, Kikyo warned: "Do not let his words deceive you. You will never be able to replace me and he knows that". Finally, she whispered into the foreigner's ear before leaving the castle.

Annabelle stangely felt herself uncomfortable and hurried her steps out that damned room. Naraku was visible angered at that point and his wicked youki spread all over the chamber.

 _How dare she?_ While he was furious about Kikyo behavior, her words gave him some ideas. Annabelle was not only attractive, but seemed to hide some strange empathy for him, he knew she also felt attracted for him. Every time they were close, or even when Naraku used to speak in a gallant tone, the scent of the woman fluids almost make him numb, for it was very dense. And, on the other hand, if he conquered her, Naraku could convince Annabelle to find Shikon shards and be a protector shield for him. No one would be able to defeat him if he had that woman on his defense.

Ambition and carnality mixed in one, darkening his semblance till his reason screams a warn of indignation. How ridiculous! Him, Naraku, using such a superfluous trick and trouble himself for the sake of another human girl?!

Naraku was confused and he hated such situation, the spider demon needed to be sure of his desires if he wanted Shikon no Tama to make them real. Kikyo was the one to blame, he thought. Before her reappearance, he was certain about his path. Annabelle? Ah, she was a distraction and nothing more! Those odd sensations, similar to lust or even affection, were merely spectra of his human nature, time and power would turn it all to dust. He just had to find a way to get rid of that pale and mortified maiden. As soon as the cursed pearl would be complete, Naraku would free himself from that memory molded in clay.

He would show to that irritating priestess she was worthless than the clay that made up her new body.

His back burned as hell.

* * *

 _Do not let his words deceive you. You will never be able to replace me and he knows that._ The cold and straight phrase repeated itself within Annabelle's mind. Maybe for the anguish, or because she regained the will to move, to scape, Anna's white light intense regressed. She knelt as her hands joined palms, her mouth whispered an ancient pray and her body started to bounce forward and backward.

Belle didn't want to have a part in that story, she didn't feel herself inside that plot and did not want to be. Then, when she imagined the spider demon embracing the nocturnal haired woman, she felt bitterness inside her dry throat. Her voice muted, ceasing the prayer, her shine decreased and her hands touched the floor as she stared at the window of her cage.

The air around seemed to be more rarefied. Feeling dizzy, Annabelle lifted up and dared to walk out her prison, bumping her arms against the corridors walls. On the floor, as she roved, she found many corpses of servants and guards, all of them victims of a strong purple poisoned smoke spread around. With her hands covering her nose and mouth, the foreigner woman passed through the miasma mist and turned back to the room she ran off some moments ago.

After opening the door, Anna found him on his back, sat on the floor, bared to the waist and with his dark aura emanating. A spider scar was sparkling on his skin as it was on fire, his hand was trying to reach it. Even she could not see his features, Annabelle knew he was in pain. Them he turned his face and gazed her, at last his suffering could be seen in the way he frowned, in the way he retorted his lips and narrowed those precious scarlet eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Naraku censured her "Leave".

Annabelle did the opposite, she came near, looking at his figure carefully.

"Is this the mark from your past?" she asked, sitting by his back and contemplating that shiny burned flesh.

"Did you not heard what I said?!" he imposed his fury in a frustrated and fastidious voice "Leave, Annabelle!" Naraku hissed. Deep within, he was ashamed to be seen in a moment of vulnerability. He didn't want her to find out about that scar. In fact, he didn't want anyone to discover about his spider mark, painted by the fire – the remembrance of his human heart.

Naraku was ready to hiss again, when he felt that peaceful warmth once more... her soft hands slipped over that shrouded painful skin, sharing with it some tenderness. Naraku sideways contemplated her, red eyelashes sealed and dewy, her pinkish lips pronouncing chants in an unknown tongue. Annabelle's luminous palms caressed his scar till Naraku's youki calm down. At last, when the hanyo seemed to be a bit serene, she slowly opened her eyes, analyzed him one more time and prepared herself to raise up.

Naraku quickly turned his body and held her wrists, keeping the girl sat on the floor, right in front of him.

"I can offer anything you want, Annabelle, you only have to accept joinning me in my endeavor" and he leaned his face closer to hers, tempting. "Give me your power..." Naraku said in a deep, seductive tone as his thumbs stroked the backs of her hands. "Let me stain your whiteness with my darkness".

"W-what?" her heartbeats accelerated and she felt shivers inside, yet, Annabelle found will to answer him severely "I have no interest on your darkness and you cannot give my man back!"

"You are right, I cannot, but the jewel can, you know it! Help me find the shards!" he said a bit loudly, his hands over hers, pressing them. His eyes wide-opened, glowing with greed.

"I do not want anything with this cursed object!" Anna tried to release her hands and his fingers tightened around then even more, still not hurting her skin, only warming it. About to collapse with such sudden proximity, she came to speak something she should not: "I wanted Hitomi's body so _I_ could bring him back myself!" Her cerulean eyes trembled, she wanted to covered her mouth after saying that, yet he was still grabbing her wet fingers into his. _What have I done?_ She thought, reprehending herself for her dumbness.

"Can you bring the dead back to life?" his smile fainted while he asked.

"Release me, I want to go to my room" Belle demanded and shook up, trying to set her hands free.

"What more can you do?" those gorgeous and evil eyes were sparkling again. He pulled Anabelle even more closer, never dropping her wrists.

"Let me go!" Almost feeling his breath on her chin, she screamed desperately as her whole body became to get warmer and warmer "I do not want anything from you!"

"Is that so?" Naraku smiled again, that time was not only ambition designing that curve on his lips, she could tell. Annabelle froze as he continued his game: "It is not what it seems when I come near you..." finally he dropped her hands, only to embrace her waist between his strong, bare arms. "Like this..." and he whispered, his mouth sealed to her ear.

"No!" She made a useless effort to push him, yet she could not avoid to suffocate within those decided arms. Not even her nails scratching that pale and rigid chest made him move away. "My body yearns for the memory of another man, not for you!" she stubborn.

"You want me..." He squeezed her waist, then slid his palms upon all her back. "Admit it and let's finish this game for once" He bit her ear's pink lobe and made her body tremble again. One more time, lust came to silence reason's voice.

"You are wrong..." First, she spoke down and uncertain, eyes wanting to close, however, there was still some will inside of her. Those fragile hands started to beat Naraku's shoulders and tried to push him away again. "The man I want is the man who I gave myself in a cabin!" Her most beautiful Kagewaki's memory would be her armor.

"The man you _think_ it was Hitomi. _Ku, ku, ku, ku_ " Naraku loosen the embrace a little bit, because he wanted to see her expression.

"I do not think" Annabelle kept her certain tone and look "I know!".

"Oh, really?" Naraku's smirk has gone and his eyes sealed, as soon as they were open again, red became brown, and when he spoke, his voice was soft and painfully familiar: "Annabelle Rose, I believe is time to inform you..." He tore some ginger locks away from her shocked face and caressed her cheek "the man you laid with in that cabin was not Hitomi." and he smirked once more "It was Naraku".

 _No, it is impossible! It cannot be!_ Her every part was hard as stone, it was like her very heart ceased to beat and became ice. He was a liar, yes, he always was! _It is not possible..._

Oh, but it was...

In that state of numbness, Annabelle remembered a conversation she had with Kagome about all the things Naraku had done to turn Kikyo against Inuyasha.

"No..." She moaned and her arms lost strength. When her mouth widened, searching for some air, it received a malicious caress from the spider's lips and voracious tongue. Without a chance to breathe or protest, Anna grievously realized that cruel kiss indeed was identical to the one she shared with Hitomi when he came for her that evening, on that humble hovel.

Her dearest memory was nothing but a _lie_.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

 **¹:** Fuko was the spell Naraku used on _**episode 32 – Kikyo and Inuyasha, Into the Miasma.**_

That scene when Annabelle sang and played the harp was inspired by **Zuberoa Aznárez** live version of _Stretched On Your Grave_ , I recommend not only this song, but the whole album _Beyond the Threshold_ , I was listening to it when I wrote most of this fiction chapters. (if you are a Symphonic Metal lover as me, I also recommend you to listen her on **Diabulus in Musica** band, it's just awesome!)

So, guys... I'm late, but I'm back and anxious to know what are your opinions about this chapter.  
I know I've passed such a long time away, but I have a very good new: I've finished writing this fic in Portuguese! I can tell you it will have 46 chapters with so much emotions, passion and a little bit of violence as well. When I decided to write about Naraku, I wanted to invent a story without decharacterizing him. Please don't be mad with me, it's just fiction and, Although I want to be faithful to the original character, it doesn't prevents me to make some changes and put him in curious situations. You'll see!  
Please, share this story and leave some comments, it will encourage me to translate more chapters sooner.  
Kissuuuuuus! S2


	14. What the water gave me

Hey guys! I am late again with this fic translation and I'm very sorry! I had to move from my city to another and my life is a mess since. So many things to do, to arrange... but know I'm finally settled and found some time to write here.

 **WARNING:** This chapter has **18+** scenes.

Oh, and yes, the chapter's name is based on _**What the Water Gave me**_ from _**Florence and the Machine!**_ (insert many, many hearts and flowers here) _._

Thanks to all people who are reading and reviewing this fic. I would like to post it in other sites, could you suggest ones for me? Thank you all again and enjoy the reading, sorry if there is any grammar mistakes or anything, I should have revised, but was very anxious to post it soon!

* * *

 **Chapter 14 – What the water gave me**

Annabelle's nails craved on her tormentor's shoulders, her legs frantically shaken, her feet tried to kick him, yet nothing made him stop. Naraku settled her between his legs while he persisted to devour her with his voracious tongue. Anna's grunts were repressed by that violent caress, despair made her fingers curl the hanyo's dark locks and push them furiously, that was her way to protest against his acts. Finally she was able to depart their wet mouths still bound to each other though, only by a tenuous saliva thread.

Without second thoughts, the foreigner lass jumped out the spider's lap and ran. As she was holding her dress' skirt, she stumbled upon the corpses along the dark wooden corridors and almost fell, for her legs were tremulous and week, her every part was about to fall apart.

 _It was all a lie!_

Tears kept oppressed on the edge of her widened eyes, as soon as she entered her room, he was right behind.

Naraku turned her to face him and Annabelle gave her back to him again, only to hear the hanyo deep laugh as his arms grabbed her again, his hard chest compressed against her back. One hand slipped its fingers inside Belle's neckline and pressed her breast already tight by a corset, while a deep sigh upon her ear made some ginger strands of hair swing and her whole body shiver.

"Stay away, do not touch me!" She tried to sound severe, but her voice faltered, her hand weekly slapped his arm, Naraku's hand remained where it was, and soon his fingers was playing with her nipple. His other hand raised her skirt layers and embed between her legs, upon her soaked warm gap.

Turquoise eyes narrowed, Annabelle squeezed his arms and tried to push him away, but just as before, she was not strong enough. It was like Naraku was made of stout stone. So, her stiffened thighs closed together, yet his fingers kept rubbing her soft wishful spot, still covered by a silky underwear. Yet, she could intensely feel his forefinger circling and pressing her clit while his middle one ran over her entrance.

"No..." Anna moaned, wailing and panting. His hot mouth rubbed her neck and bit it. "I do not want it!" She whimpered uselessly as her feet were writhing over the floor, compressing fingers inside the boots.

"It is not what your body tells me" Skillful, Naraku put his hand under her underwear and felt, at last, her hot vibrant skin "Your body claims for my touch since the first time I have been close" then he dragged his nose through her cheek and softly bit it. Another chill for her to feel.

His dark, hoarse voice sounded pleasurable while his agile fingers were massaging her pleading entrance. His other hand was impetuously cornering her rosy nipple and pulling it, forcing her corset to open a little.

Sealed to that villain's embrace, Annabelle felt his manhood rubbing her hip, even if he was fully dressed, his pulsating corpulence was something that could not go unnoticed. When Belle moved her hips, trying to move away, Naraku held her even more closer, firmly, and persisted to nudge her backside with his mast.

"You want me..." he whispered many times in her ear, as he needed to speak that to convince her, "Oh, you _do_ want me" as he needed to speak that to convince himself that it was she who desired him, not the opposite. So, his middle finger entered that sloppy gap of hers and circled it from within. His forefinger, on its turn, moved willing and fast, up and down upon her sensitive bottom. "Oh, yes, this..." the spider said as he laugh briefly and seductive, then he growled at her ear, licked her face and bit it one more time, savoring her taste and scent, driving her crazy. He could feel her body trembling hard between his arms, her shaking hips rubbing his front without any control, so wild were her spasms when she had finally cum.

Her body betrayed her.

As last, Naraku released her from his embrace and she fell, sat on the floor, still possessed by shivers and tremors.

The halfbreed demon laughed while he smell his fingers – soaked with her nectar – and afterhe sucked them pleasantly, tasting her sweetness again, just like the man she thought it was Hitomi did when they were alone in a hovel. Watching his acts while he was gazing at her without a glance, broke her inside and those tears Annabelle fought so hard to repress instantly fell, although her long red-haired was already covering her pale face, her shame made her feel in need to hide, so her hands hidden her crying eyes. Belle's shoulders trembled unceasingly though, and her crying sobs were denouncing her condition.

She felt deceived, she felt filthy. That creature knew exactly how to touch her. Anger consumed her core.

"I hate you!" Annabelle raged, punching the floor "I fucking hate you!" her sharp, loud voice echoed through windows and walls.

"Then you should have killed me when you had the chance" Naraku said deeply and gloomy, with a glimmering smirk on his lips. Finally, he left her alone with her ghosts, yet she could hear him laughing while he walked away in calm steps.

First was rage, now she was feeling frustrated as hell. Her body fells on the floor, lying down with arms embracing legs, still trembling and feeling that hideous sensation of warm in her entrance. She howled like an animal shot down by a hunter. The memories of every instant she passed by Kagewaki's side trading caresses, came down like a hurricane in her mind and she wanted to punish herself for not being able to realize who was who.

That evening, in that hovel, when they were together, _Hitomi_ finally pronounced her name correctly. _Hitomi_ took her with such desire, and how she loved him for doing so.

There wasn't her first love's actions what captivated her most, it was _Naraku's_ ones. It was his hands touching her shapes, caressing her skin, blurring her senses. Those murderer hands, masters of many tragedies, were the source of her desires once and now. He was right, her body was begging for that, lust entrenched her skin making her reason almost numb. If Annabelle had not a conscience, she would run to her captor's room and supplicate for his kisses, his caresses, for a coupling.

She felt disgusted with herself.

 _I would rather die than let him defile me this way._

Taken by revulsion and willing to free herself from that situation, Annabelle's light surrounded her and her body started to levitate till she was erect again. At last, the foreigner less rip out that dirty dress, marked with a spider touch, and searched for another one.

* * *

Naraku noticed that the barrier surrounding the castle was hit by an unknown force, so he sent one of his puppets out to verify what was happening. In the desert front yard he could see a black haze covering the purple protective dome, greenish rays fissured it. Behind the dense dark mist, from afar, the golden haired lady appeared elegantly, her red long dress flicking and so her vast curls.

"Did you think you could hide from me forever, Annabelle? You broke the seal that was keeping me away. Have you forgotten it? Now I can sense your presence, no matter in what corner of the world you are hiding." The blond woman spoke, a bright grin curving her red lips.

"Forgive me for disappointing you, but it is not Annabelle who receives you." The White Baboon responded, siting on the entrance wooden steps of that enormous building. "So, you are her sister, are you not?"

"And you are the one she wanted to exterminate, but did not have the courage." She stopped in front of him, the ring in her little finger was shining greeny. "I know she is here, let me pass. She and I made a deal and you have no right to interfere."

"What deal?" Still in the same place, he asked calmly.

"The sacred dagger for her life. I do not care if Annabelle was not able to complete her mission, a promise is a promise." Ailyn gave one more step ahead, preparing herself to pass by the baboon side.

Finally, Naraku's puppet lift up, then uncountable brown tentacles popped up from his back and formed a wall between Ailyn and the castle.

"Why do you wish to take your sister's life?" Curiosity reverberated in his tone.

"This is not your business." She started to loose her temper "Open the path to me." and Ailyn said arrogantly.

"It happens that it is not interesting to me letting you get Annabelle's life, unless you give me a good reason" He mocked her.

"She wants my heart." Suddenly, Anna's voice echoed from the distance. She showed herself in her delicate blue dress, the skirt and her long ginger hair floating. She was not by the entrance, as Naraku figured out when he looked behind. So, he lift his eyes to the dark skies and saw her descending from the roof, involved by pure white light, her whole being levitating as a heaven creature. As she slowly reached the ground, her speech continued: "She wants to eat my heart, so she can absorb my gift, because Ailyn believes that she is more worthy than me." His tentacles was in front of her, preventing the sisters encounter. "Let me pass, Naraku".

"Humpft! I should have been chosen to receive such power, yet you were lucky to born some hours before me... How ironic!" Ailyn hissed from the other side of the tentacles "Why you, among all people, the most weak of spirit, had to born with this wonder while I have nothing?!" Then she touched those many appendices and Annabelle did the same where she was.

"And what is all this power?" Naraku asked, even more curious, his ruby eyes a little wide and bright.

"Do you really want to know?" Ailyn provoked him "Take those disgusting things out of my way".

"Come take what should be yours, Ailyn Rose." Annabelle's eyes were oscillating from clear blue to white time after time.

"I do not think so" Naraku smirked, soon his tentacles exploded and a purple venomous mist spread around.

Annabelle's aura protected her as always, but Ailyn was taken by surprise, she inhaled the dark smoke and lost consciousness, falling upon the infertile earth.

The red-haired lass could see her sister languishing and decided to act. She soared above that miasma fog and took her twin in her arms.

"Where do you think you are going?" The White Baboon asked as he sent her the biggest tentacle, ready to seize her. However, at the time it's sharpen tip touched the ebony radiance surrounding Anna's body, the long member was swallowed by clarity and disintegrated. When the light reached Naraku's puppet, it finally turned into dust also.

 _It cannot be!_ The real Naraku, hidden inside the castle, was mortified. Annabelle forgot her moon pendant inside her room. It was not a coincidence her energy being more powerful and pure than usual, the crystal was not there to inhibit her powers.

"Go find her!" He sent many saimyousho after the foreigner girl that flew away with her only family.

* * *

"I am so sorry, Ailyn..." Belle leaned her unconscious sister against a tree trunk and caressed her messy bangs. "If I hand over this gift to you, Naraku will hunt you down and this nightmare will never end" She sadly concluded "You will be alright..." and, at last, Annabelle covered Ailyn with her light, purifying her lungs from the arachnid hanyo's poison. As soon as the cure was concluded, Annabelle left her twin by the tree and walked away through the forest.

She sighed, wandering around, until she found a river flowing across the woods, which final destiny she could not guess. So the Scottish woman bent down and dipped her fingers into the water.

 _It is cold..._ Annabelle closed her eyes, opened her mouth and vapor escaped through her lips. The cool breeze was proving that summer had already said farewell. The warm bright season was gone and so she beloved one was. _Light_ was gone.

Her regrets was taking over her thoughts, she could not avoid the memories, all those sweet moments when Hitomi walked with her through the garden, all the plans they made together, every single minute they spent came to haunt her, to make her feel the pain of not being able to say a proper goodbye. She thought about all the things they would never be able to accomplish, about all the places she mentioned and he could never travel abroad, all the years that have been stolen from him. Hitomi had such a life ahead, he could have been a great lord for those lands and helped so many people, he had such a benevolent heart...

She wanted so much to remember his eyes, his serene features and tender smiles, yet all her thoughts were soon captivated by the red sketch of cruelty, those hateful eyes marked by the colour of blood. She was tied to Naraku and it was irreversible, and deep in her heart Annabelle knew that with time he would reach his goal, he would take her light away and stain her soul with his darkness.

Tore into pieces, Anna stared a large rock on her side, then she looked to a tree with many hanging vines, bouncing with the wind.

She took some of those vines, braided then like a rope, then tied her waist with them. Soon she tied it to the rock she found and, with some effort, took of the ground. Carrying the stone in her hands, Annabelle walked to the riverside again, resigned with her own fate. Certainty grew inside her in every step she took.

 _This gift must be sealed with me._ She assumed in relief. She would leave in peace, knowing that one day she had knew a sparkle of happiness. She would be going to a land where no one would chase her for her origins, nor for her talents. She would be leaving to a sanctuary where her soul would be healed from all sorrow, a place where she could think of believing in love and in herself again, away from all the darkness, away from all pain, away from the torture of still existing in that world.

"Mother, receive me in your arms. Allow the water to take me, as it took thee away"

 _This curse dies with me._

Annabelle opened her arms and dropped the stone into the cold flowing waters.

 _But oh, my love, don't forget me_ _  
_ _When I let the water take me_

Her body was pushed with it, diving into the depths of that stream.

 _Lay me down_ _  
_ _Let the only sound_ _  
_ _Be the overflow_ _  
_ _Pockets full of stones_

The only witness of her madness was an insect flying nearby.

 _Would you have it any other way?_

The only witness? No...

 _You could have had it any other way_

 _To be continued..._

* * *

So... I know Naraku and Annabelle's moment was very dark and abusive, I found it hard to write, but I'm trying make Naraku as near of the original as possible, at least at this moment. If there is to be a change, it has to be convincing, right? Please, don't be mad at me for Naraku's actions, it's Naraku after all.  
See you next chapter, I hope you did enjoy this one.


	15. Caring

**Chapter 15 – Caring**

 _First, her foggy sight had identified some golden hue surrounding her. Then, as she was recovering her eye focus, Annabelle found herself laying upon a vast wheat field in a hill. Such landscape was familiar to her, she noticed when she raised up and started walking around, looking in every direction where those yellow swath was spread, bouncing with the cool breeze. As she walked through the high aureate plants, her fingertips touched them in a tender caress._

 _The sun was high, it's rays were disturbing the cerulean orbs, so she put one hand at the level of her eye and continued her steps._

Am I at home? _She thought while wandering around._

 _Finally, Belle saw someone in the middle of that field and stopped walking immediately. Hot and cold ran inside her, for even the man was backwards, she recognized him instantly. His long black locks were swaying with the wind, trying to cover his face, yet the Young Master put them aside, arranging his hair behind the ears._

" _Hitomi..." Annabelle whispered weakly._

" _You took so long, Anaberu" At last his eyes were upon her, those beautiful calm brown globes. He smiled tenderly._

" _Is here that paradise that many people talk about?" She asked while approaching him, her hand slowly searching for his to touch. "No, it cannot be..." Then her semblance hardened. "Naraku assured me you were not there" Annabelle's sorrow made her skin turn paler and her eyes a bit opaque._

" _You have always been right about Naraku." The lad sadly commented, feeling affected by her sadness. "If only I had listened to you..." Hitomi sighed in regret, facing the ground for a moment. "However, you are here now Anaberu!" He smiled and took her hands in his ones "I have been waiting for you" His fingers stroked her palms, warming them._

 _Her eyes found his once more, honesty seemed to shine within those nut-brown orbs. Although Annabelle knew Kagewaki was dead, the soft blush on his cheeks was almost showing otherwise._

" _Where is this place, my lord?" she asked, a little confused and a little suspicious._

" _I have been here for some time, yet I do not know, and I do not really care about it anymore..." His voice turned low at the end of the phrase, showing conformity._

" _Is it you? The real you? Or just another one of_ _ **his**_ _tricks?" Anna found courage to ask and to touch his face, squeezing softly his skin, feeling its texture and warmith. His lips parted, yet he remained silent, maybe because her acts made him a bit shy. Her anxious fingers caressed his bangs and put it away from his eyes, she searched into that orbs any trace of sadism and found only confusion, but nothing similar to wickedness. Then, she squeezed his shoulders, his arms, till she finally grabbed him with such strength that if Hitomi was alive, he would suffocate._

" _Please, tell me it is you..." She whispered, closing her eyes tight while her hands were smoothing his back. Inside her azure globes a storm was fighting to be released, but her eyelids wiggled stubbornly. Her nose reddened and burned from within. "I need it to be you" The last thing she said was more for herself than for him to listen._

" _It is me, I swear, Anaberu" His voice echoed like calm waters and his gentle fingers caressed her flaming hair, his chin leaning on the top of her head._

" _What has he done to you?" That was the question that she kept for such a long time and it tormented her every day and night since he was gone. Her lips trembled while she asked him and even after. Her face didn't leave his chest, her ear kept there listening his spectrum heartbeats._

" _The only thing I can remember is a purple mist surrounding me," His voice sounded tremulous and he closed his eyes, remembering his final instants "suddenly, I felt my flesh being ripped as it was made of paper, the pain was unspeakable" This time, it was him tightening their embrace. "And all I could think about was you, I thought I would never see you again. Then, I could not breathe anymore" His hands shivered, pressing her waist "It seemed to be an eternity, but it lasted only a few seconds of agony". Those brownish orbs opened slowly and craved on that limpid, endless firmament above them. "So, I founded myself in this place, where Time does not exist."._

" _I should never have left the castle!" Annabelle moaning was stuffy, for her face was still buried in his thorax "My place was by your side!"_

" _Do not blame yourself, I sent you away for your own safety, it was my choice." Kagewaki delicately kissed her forehead and held her cheeks in his hands, making their glances encounter again. "And now, that is all in the past, does not matter any longer" His thumbs circled her face, massaging her soft skin "We are together, there is no Naraku, nor giant spiders, it is just the two of us, Anaberu, and no one else". He emphasized, rubbing his nose on hers, their foreheads united._

" _He stained me in such a way that I am afraid if someday or if in somewhere I will be able to break free of all the suffering he put me through." She unburned her greatest fear, because it was so heavy and suffocating to the point she was finding infernally hard to gaze into her beloved, for he and her tormentor looked almost the same. Her tears remained trembling in the corner of her eyes, dewing her eyelashes._

" _Leave it all behind. You are with me now, can you not see?" Hitomi remained patient as he used to be, his forefingers wiped her tears before they could even pour down, then he put some messy ginger strands behind her ears, so he could see her features with more details._

 _At last, Annabelle looked into his eyes again and behind them she could see some expectation. She touched his chest, feeling it raise and down with some rush. Even he was trying hard to hide his longing for her, his body was betraying him. His lips were curved in a large smile while his eyes were shinning, there was love glimmering within them, there was missing. It was he, the real him, her Hitomi._

 _They finally met again and she was mourning the harm suffered in life?! Hitomi was right, it was necessary to leave the past behind. Where was her head, after all? All Belle ever wanted since she lost him, was a way she could be with him one more time, and when she had him in front of her and could touch him, feel him, she would waste time thinking about the evil acts of a damn hanyo dressed in a baboon cloak?!_

 _Annabelle's chest rose and fell three times, flushed, burning inside. Her lips first compressed, then they opened a bit, searching for air. Those spheres, blue like the evening sky above them, blinked slowly and, at last, the foreign lass found the courage to grab her fiance's nape and kissed him urgently._

 _His taste was the same – she felt it while savoring his soft, sweet parted lips. The sensation was the same – she concluded, sensing the warm invade her from inside as his tongue touched hers tenderly, one caressing and melting each other unhurriedly. Even Kagewaki was desperate because he missed her so much, he was kind and careful. His hands cuddling her back was a gesture that, unbeknownst to him, was helping to wash her soul, his pleasing caresses made Annabelle feel like her body was being purified from the vile Spider paws' touches._

 _Hitomi gasped inside their once tender, now passionate kiss, but if they were dead, as they knew, there was no need to worry about loosing their breathes, so the White Rose continued to increase the rhythm of that pungent mouths encounter. Anna pressed him within her arms as if she could calcify him with her. What if, in the end of it all, they would turn into a marble sculpture molding memories, dreams, and wishes? At least, they would be together forevermore._

 _Tears fell severely, soaking her face and wetting his. She was moaning and whimpering inside that kiss while her shoulders were shaking uncontrolledly. Albeit Hitomi was insistently rubbing down the salt water away from her cheeks, more droplets insisted to fall down. Yet, he did not dare to interrupt their kiss, because her hand held his head close to hers, her shivering fingers wrapped his hair in despair. All he could do was to try to contain her spasms, so he stroked her arms, her shoulders, her back, and nothing made those tremors cease. Kagewaki, then, put his lips away and Anna pressed his body against hers even more._

" _Do not let me go!" She begged, blinded by pain "Never, ever, let me go!" And she insisted, her fingers tightening his lavender kimono's fabric. He could feel the panic in her tone. After all they have shared in that place, Belle was still afraid it was all just a dream, a mere illusion, or just another lie as so many she had ever been a victim of._

 _Hitomi felt her pain as his own, his discomfort had stolen any word he wished to speak, so he laid her head against his chest once more, caressing her locks. "I am here, do not worry" He said to her many times, repeating as it was a mantra "Everything is going to be alright". He said those same sentences over and over, till her eyes slowly close and her breathe calm down._

 _Peace, at last... Anna felt it deep inside her core and this alouded her to show a discrete smile. From now on, Hitomi would take good care of her. She looked at his face again, his serene smile and features made her feel he was her shelter and always would be, no matter what. They kissed again, this time without rush and desperation. Hours and days did not exist for them anymore, why would they hurry?_

 _Their bodies leaned down until they were laying on the ground, both lost inside that gold vastness. Annabelle admired Hitomi's body under hers, at her mercy, his velvet hair contrasting with the sunlight, his eyes clearer, reflecting her visage while he was smiling in plenitude. All she could do was return his tenderness, smiling back to him and bending her head down so their lips would meet again. As soon as their mouths were merely centimeters apart, he touched her lips with his fingertips and raise his head a little, wanting to reach her. Then, all of sudden, the Scottish lady felt a force pushing her from him. It was strong, she felt it was like a flow taking her away. Her arms stretched, trying to reach her dearest one that seemed to be far away in an instant._

No, Hitomi! _She wanted to scream, yet her voice was stuck by the same cold force that was dragging her. Finally, her Young Master was so far that he seemed to be only a spot violet light in the middle of the wheat, and soon violent waters covered his trace._

 _Water._

 **Water?!**

* * *

Her eyes had widened suddenly and her body turned to the side, lying upon humid earth. She threw up so much water that she felt her chest compressing in pain. Her belly writhed and her shoulders contracted while endless waterfalls were overflowing from her open mouth.

After all liquid left her lungs and her throat, Annabelle thought she would collapse. However, her body resistance betrayed her wish to lose consciousness and she remained lucid, even against her will. As soon as Anna could control her gasps, she noticed another person's presence by the corner of her eye. Even she could guess who it was, the lass turned her body to see and at the exact moment she saw him, her blood seemed to boiled inside her veins.

It was him, Naraku, sitting a few steps away, his clothing and hair soaked, his eyes discreetly trembling and his lips parted while he was watching her recovering in silence. Annabelle made no effort trying to understand his features, as soon as she gazed those sparkling rubies of him, she grunted as a wild beast and jumped over him, attacking his body not with her purifying powers, but with her hands and feet. She almost knocked him into the ground, not only with her own weight, but with all the blows. The woman punched, scratched his shoulders, his arms and his belly, she even kicked him and pulled his hair while she screamed: "You halfbreed piece of shit!" and she continued roaring loudly, even it was hurting her lungs "Why do you not leave me alone?!" She asked between some gasps, Belle was visibly fighting hard to not lose strength while she was hitting him "Go to hell!" and her blows persisted, even she knew they would not leave any bruise in him. "I hate you!" She cursed him, her voice could be hacking but it still sounded very loud. "I hate you more than anyone!" the fact he was not retaliating was driving her even more mad. "I fucking hate you!" Hitting him was not enough, however, it was the only way she found to deal with her anger, so she punched him in the chest compulsively, her throat was already burning, yet her screams echoed persistently while some leaves fell from the trees around them.

Although her assaults did not even tickled his skin, Naraku lost his patience and finally caught her wrists firmly. It was not enough to stop her, though. Her legs were still bouncing in clumsy kicks, if they were not able to hit him, then they would throw dark sand over his own legs and trunk, she was fully out of control. Then, the hanyo seized her legs between his and as her last resort, Anna tried to bite his hands holding her wrists. If not for his state of mind at that moment, the spider demon might have laughed, but he just slapped her face instead, making her fall to the side, laying over the grass. Her cheek ached, she touched it and felt the skin get hot like his hand was still over there, her mind passed from angry to dizzy in an instant. After some seconds staring each other, Naraku suddenly took her head in his hands and made her sit again between his legs, almost in his lap. With her pinky cheeks pressed against his palms, Belle was not able to run from his deep gaze. She did not lost all her will to fight even so, her every part could be trembling for cold and fury, still she scratched his hands, trying to get rid of his violent touch. All for nothing.

Naraku bent forward, getting even closer to her vulnerable shrunken body, his fingers pressing against her wet face, putting some soaked hair away from her eyes, then resting in the back of her head with only his thumbs circling her cheekbones. Those red globes never blinked, not at once, craved on her visage. His silence was torture, she thought, and like the arachnid could read her mind, he finally spoke in a low, deep voice:

"You will not die, do you hear me?" it was looking like he was making some effort to not yell angrily, yet his gestures remained wild, he pushed her face closer without any care, still eye to eye, and Naraku did not finish. "You will not die" He paused between every spoken word, giving emphasis to them. "I forbid you, stupid human!" At last, he plagued without smirks, without irony nor sadism.

Her teeth gritted and she opened her mouth to respond his authoritarianism, but she seemed to lose her vast vocabulary. There was something in his crimson eyes that had disarmed her. There was a peculiar light shaking inside those almost widened rubies while his frown was slightly furrowed. His usual artful mouth was a bit curving down, all his features were indicating a worried expression and he truly was more paler than he ever was.

Did he care about her?

Her nails slowly stopped trying to bruise his hands and her fingers simple remained over them for a few more instants before her arms lay down and her joints relaxed. His hands lost the grip around her nape and slid down her wet flaming locks, arranging them, rolling fingers in some ginger strands before held her face once again, this time more softly and careful.

 _What the hell is going on here?_ Annabelle asked herself while anxiety was taking her breath away and increasing her heartbeats. The hanyo opened his mouth and would start to talk again, maybe he would argue with her a bit more, she could not guess... and something hit his shoulder without warning. It was so fast that Anna could not see from where it came, and Naraku – now aware – pushed her away quickly.

Fallen upon the grass, she watched him lift up elegantly, the deep wound in his shoulder was already recovering. Then, looking for seeing better what was happened, Belle raised her head and so she could find out who was the source of that sudden attack. He had a gorgeous looking, she had to admit. He was a demon, she could tell, for his long hair was bright silver and his eyes shone like precious golden coins. The man should be noble, his clothes were made in pure expensive fabric, so was his armor. A peculiar fluffy pelt covered one of his shoulders, and even his sleeves were long, it was noticeable he missed one arm.

Those stranger intense aureate eyes first analyzed Naraku, then they found her visage and craved on it, looking her mindfully, showing some curiosity. Yet, behind those beautiful orbs, Annabelle could perceive killer intentions.

"Wandering around in the forest, **Sesshomaru**?" Naraku broken the silence and teased.

"Unlike any other human I have ever seen" the Dai Yokai ignored his provocation, fixed on Annabelle laid ahead, looking the Scottish woman up and down, expressionless as he used to be. "Still a human, nevertheless" He swayed the green shinning whip in his hand, the weapon that wounded Naraku moments ago, and gazed at him one more time "You are very much alike Inuyasha at the end" the white haired entity finished austerely.

"This conversation seems to be very interesting, but I have important issues to deal with" Naraku maintained his mocking façade, smirking even Sesshoumaru's comment did not please him. However, that yokai was not a man of many words, but a man of acts. The whip he had in hands surrounded him within a bright green spiral. As soon as he spun his body, he jumped in Naraku's direction.

"Run." The hanyo looked at Anna over his own shoulder and throw her the moon pendant he was keeping guarded within his kimono collar until now.

There was no time for talking, soon those two supernatural creatures were jumping from tree to trees, Sesshomaru deforested many branches with his whip while chasing Naraku in the heights of some ancient trees.

Annabelle was pretty confused about sudden events, yet, while looking at the crystal moon laid on the earth, something inside of her repeated Naraku's words. Yes, all she could do was run faster as she could, and so she would, not because she was afraid to die, not because Naraku told her to, all she wanted was to get away from that confused thoughts, from those demons, from everything. The foreigner lass took her jewel in one hand, jumped up and tried to escape as quickly as her trembling legs would let her.

Sesshomaru heard hurried footsteps upon the fallen leaves. He gave Naraku a brief gaze before turning his body and his attention to the opposite side. Then, the handsome Dai Yokai jumped away from the Spider hanyo, making those red orbs wide and shiver. Naraku knew what he was intending to do. From a tree top, he converted his arms in many tentacles and sent them after Inuyasha's brother. Sesshomaru did not even has to turn back to slash those appendices into pieces, not a drop of goop stained his bright white kimono nor his silver long strands of hair, all he needed was shake his only arm that held the whip.

 _Damn it!_ Naraku cursed in thoughts while regenerating his arms, his members healing would not be fast enough so he could reach Sesshomaru before he catch Annabelle. Was Sesshomaru trying to get the woman just because Naraku tricked him once? Yes, the White Baboon tried to make him kill his own brother using _Tetsusaiga_ before, but it was nothing Sesshomaru would not do by himself... Oh, the arm Naraku gave him was poisoned, but nothing happenned to him in the end, so... Why? - Such doubts would not solve any sort of problem, he concluded, but maybe his miasma could slow his opponent up. So, the purple smoke spread around in Sesshomaru's direction. As soon as the dark cloud got close to that magnificent demon, his body twirled surrounded by that luminous green whip, and this only movement dissipated Naraku's poison in a blink of an eye. Worthless.

Meanwhile, Annabelle was descending a steep ravine, her shaky legs doing their best to lead her away from that wood. Her still soaked dress was a disturb for her to move, water was making the fabric seems heavy and it was sticking on her skin. While she was passing through some leaning trees over the muddy slope, her hands grabbed their thin trunks, in this way she found some strength to desolate her feet and keep running down the hill. However, the rush made her miss a high root hidden inside the mood, Anna stumbled over it, wrenched her ankle and rolled down till her body reach the grass in an open field.

She tried to get up, yet the pain did not aloud her, then she crawled, but it was to slow and at that point she could feel a shadow covering her silhouette for behind, it was him, that stranger yokai, his youki was very powerful. Annabelle took a deep breath, holding her moon pendant at her chest in one hand, the other massaging her injured ankle while her heart was pounding like drumming, then she turned her body so she could look at him. Her eyes faced the grass and slowly went up his feet, his white clothes with some details in red, his one arm shaking a whip, then his spiny armor, his shoulder covered by a fluffy cloak, and finally his face, gorgeous yet expressionless. His bangs, such as his clear locks were swaying at the mercy of the evening winds. The very sun seemed to be setting behind that splendid figure. His amber eyes craved upon her, mysterious and startling golden gems. His whip reaching the ground, embraced by his firm fingers. They two remained looking at each other in silence – she, holding herself like a frightened child, and he, like a god that descended from heaven and landed on Earth.

Her breathe slowed down bit by bit and her arms uncovered her chest, Annabelle's fingers found the ground where she was sitting and rested over the lawn. Suddenly, her turquoise orbs was not trembling anymore and her heart seemed to be asserted. Whatever was going to happen, she was prepared to face it. No word escaped from her mouth, though, neither from his. The only sound that echoed through that landscape was a step, he came a little more closer. Anna gazed his whip, than looked into his eyes again and when she was ready to say 'come on, do it' a familiar voice screamed at her back:

"Stop!" Annabelle recognized that timbre, it was the girl that helped her once. "Don't you hurt her!"

"Careful, Kagome!" the archer's partner was at her side, his screechy voice was very familiar as well. Annabelle looked behind and saw him, dressed in that red kimono, ready to draw his sword. "Sesshomaru, why do you want to hurt this woman?" Inuyasha asked.

"Naraku cares about her." The yokai said nonchalantly, now looking at his younger brother.

"Annabelle is just another victim of Naraku, please, leave her alone!" Kagome bravely asked him.

The Dai Yokai stared silently at Anna once more, his globes made of pure gold analyzing her from her toes to her ginger locks, craved on her every shape, and so she did to him, they seemed to be trying to unravel each other in such a gesture, and their attempts failed.

Kagome ran to the out-lander girl and offered her shoulder for Annabelle to lean on. The woman, still disoriented, accepted the help and stood up clumsily, held by the younger lass arms.

"Naraku was vulnerable and absent-minded because of this woman." Sesshomaru threw the information to the wind, facing Inuyasha once and for all "He was reckless as he never dares to be. He is a halfbreed after all, this must be common among people of your kind." the man's comment was fulfilled of disdain, he was probably smiling, however his body turned it's back to the others and he started walking away as nothing in that place matters anymore.

"You bastard!" Inuyasha yelled from distance, yet Sesshomaru keep moving away until his features vanished into the forest. Any sign of Naraku had turn int dust as well.

"Are you alright?" Kagome asked Annabelle when she heard the red-haired girl moan.

"It is nothing, I just twisted my ankle" when she tried to touch her foot in the ground, an annoying pain prevented her.

"What happened?!" Sango and Miroku asked while they were approaching, right behind came Kirara and Shippo.

"Girl, you are lucky, you know?" Inuyasha crossed his arms and said to Anna "If we weren't nearby, Sesshomaru wouldn't think twice before killing you. And Naraku fled, just as always. That bastard, _keh_!"

" _Anaberu-hime_ needs a good bath and clean clothes." Miroku remarked, paying attention to the woman's condition.

"You all are so kind to me..." She gazed every one of then while sighing "I appreciate it, but I cannot go with you.".

"If you stay on your own, harmed and disarmed, you will not last long" Sango asserted seriously. "You need help".

"Why don't you stay with us till you are healed at least?" Shippo went closer to her and asked with a large smile on his face.

"I-I..." she was so embarrassed that it was difficult to speak.

"Shippo is right, Anna." Kagome gently spoke to her "Let me take care of your ankle, I have some medicine I brought from home" She suggested "If later, when you feel good to walk again, you still want to leave, that's fine."

The occidental lass sighed while contemplating everyone around her, most of them were showing friendly and sympathetic glances, the last rays of a sun that was ready to rest made them look even more gentle. However her eyes were seeing such a comfort view, her mind was still trapped in recent melancholic memories, since the day she lost her innocence in that damn hovel, till today, when she almost drowned, when she thought she had a glimpse of what heaven was, and she was brought to reality again, then she had to deal with those crimson, mysterious eyes of **his**. They were so different in that time, though... It was like Anna could feel his cold and wet hands holding her cheeks, even he was not there anymore. Her eyes got blank, fixed upon the grass.

"Hey, are you there?" Inuyasha swayed his hand near to her face, making her blink three times before gazing at him a little confused.

"Sorry..." Annabelle spoke in low tone and faced him. The halfbreed was the only one in that group who still seemed to distrust her. He did not speak against her staying with them for a few days, nor ever agreed with her presence also. His large rounded amber orbs fell upon Anna looking for any sign of pretending, and she realized it. Belle could not recriminate his attitude though, for the remembrance of those unique rubies staring her deeply remained haunting her thoughts. She saw through them, and she was sure: there was something beyond wickedness inside those eyes. Never before has Naraku expressions been so transparent as in that single event. While remembering that as she was walking by Kagome's side, her heart almost screamed within her chest.

* * *

 _He only believed in that woman's actions when he watched her – through the eyes of one of his bugs and inside that crystal moon – being swallowed by the water and sink. The river continued flowing and the birds kept singing upon the branches as nothing ever happened, as she never was a part of such a beautiful scenery. Time passed, and she did not come back to surface._

 _Yes, the girl would drown._

 _And what was the problem with that? Annabelle was decided to not cooperate with him, and surely he was tired of trying to convince her._

 _If she died, her power would go with her to the grave, so Naraku would never have to feel threatened by her again. After all, he was too proud to absorb a human being..._

She will give up, when she starts to asphyxiate she will not stand and will come back to surface. _Naraku was convincing himself in thoughts, unworried._ She would not have the courage _. And he proceeded in his belief._

 _But she did not came._

 _So, the hanyo felt a sick feeling in his stomach, it was like a cold breeze revolving inside. What the hell was that sensation?! He lift up from the corner he used to sit in that dark, empty room, hidden inside that enormous castle, and walked towards the vast corridor. Suddenly his steps got faster, and faster and more faster, until he found himself outside, in the center of his desert yard. His breathe seemed to be heavy and accelerated. Before all of that could get even more bizarre to him, Naraku flew to that point in the woods where Annabelle jumped inside a stream. He landed just in front of the river bank, staring straight at his image on the water, having to face his own anguish alone._

Rise, woman! _He ordered in thoughts._ Come back to surface! _– and ordered again, just inside his troubled mind._

 _Nothing happened._

 _After a frustrated growl escaped his throat, Naraku dived into the river and found her in it's depths. Her waist was tied to a stone by braided vines, her arms were stretched up, swinging with the river flow, and so was her dense locks of hair._

 _He took her wrists and pushed her with such a force that those vines munched instantly and faded, then her body lost the rock's weight and was easily carried out the cold waters by the hanyo arms._

 _Once they were on soil, Naraku laid her down anyhow, then squeezed her face looking for any reaction. She gave him nothing. So, he started to press her chest with his hands, he pressed it many times, hoping water would come out from her lungs, yet he got no results._

 _It was time to seal his mouth to her, so he did. He blew his own air through her throat, and nothing happened again. Naraku passed one hand next to Annabelle's nose and felt no breathe at all._

" _She is dead." And with his conclusion, that feeling inside his belly got deeper, stronger. This time, his throat felt tightened, as it would close, such was his affliction. At last, Naraku caught Annabelle in his arms once more and laid her upon his lap, then he touched her cold face again, his hands pressed her cheeks, her arms, her shoulders and her hands looking for a single spasm that did not came. The woman stood lifeless and he started to shake her angrily, like she was doing it on purpose, only to drive him mad. Her purple senseless lips seemed to be curved in a triumphant smile._

 _Soon his agony mixed up with fury. Still tormented, Naraku laid her in the grass again and united their mouths several times, filling her with all the air he was able to share. When he was not blowing his air through her parted lips, he was pressing her chest, and he repeated those gestures in what seemed to be a never ending circle, seeking for any reaction. Yet, why she was not responding? Was this the end?! - He kept thinking while trying hard to bring her back somehow, until he had lost hope and fell sited, defeated. His fingers sunk into the earth underneath him, his lips were soaked by his own saliva and his eyes got cloudy..._

 _She gushed, her body parts started to shake._

 _Naraku found out a new type of relief in that instant when she followed her instincts and turned her body so she could throw up all waters she had swallowed. The Spider Demon almost smiled watching her. That cold he felt inside changed to a warmth into his chest, still so, some fear remained inside of him, and it only left his mind when she finally turned, when she saw him there and began to weakly hit him._

 _While the human girl was attacking Naraku, his mind was twirling around terror and solace, he was loosing himself inside those frustrations of a being that made so many efforts, for days and nights, since he was born, to get rid of every human feelings and sensations, and yet he was revolving inside for a mortal creature in that very moment._

 _Fallen for Kikyo was enough, he had no need for more distractions in his life. Naraku cursed himself for laying with her in that hovel, his sentence was released as soon as he touched a finger in Annabelle. So the hanyo was deluded when he kept telling himself he would take her only to indulge his own vile desires, and then he would find rejoicing when she found out that he was, indeed, the one who stained her purity. Naraku convinced himself that it was a way to punish her for teasing him every time she found an opportunity and then kept herself unreachable, as she was confusing his senses designedly. However, the coupling was never a simple and savage act without a higher meaning to him. Since it happened, he could never be same. To feel the roses' sweet scent would make him relive the night he had her under his spell, and so he would want miserably make her his, he would hate Hitomi's existence, he would hate her for preferring an ignoble human man than him, just as Kikyo chose to love a pathetic and childish dog hanyo._

 _His only salvation was Shikon no Tama, the mystic pearl would certainly make him forget what have feelings was like, because feelings were merely weakness. Sentiments would only bring him more torment, and nothing more._

* * *

"Naraku?" A womanly voice rescued him from his recent memento.

He was fingering the golden arabesques carved in Annabelle's golden harp when he heard that call coming from the door.

"Kikyo..." He was a little surprised with her presence in there, it was unexpected. This time, Naraku was not able to pretend indifference, his eyes widened and his youki was emanating intensely, incandescent as a dark cloud around him.

"This is not your room" she said while entering the chamber, then the priestess rolled her black orbs around every corner of that place, just to crave her gaze upon that ostentatious musical instrument she could swear that Naraku was caressing. "Was this the place where she stayed?" Kikyo asked, yet she did not have to listen his answer to predict she was right, she just had to look down to the wooden floor and notice some white shreds of what once was a dress, the fabric was spread around. At last, she looked at him, finally finding his red globes. "Who is this woman?" She asked one more question.

Naraku contemplated the harp again, the only sound Kikyo could hear was a heavy, deep sigh from him. Of grief? Of anger? She could not guess. Still, however much the hanyo disguised himself behind his masks of derision and indifference, that was one of the darkest hours in his life, the priestess could see it beyond his cuirass of evilness. In front of her, there was a disturbed man – and not because of her, but because of another. Naraku was not looking at her anymore, and not to avoid unwelcome remembrances, he was just lost inside another memory, he was struggling with thoughts about a fresh happening.

The woman did not wanted to stay in there for too long, so she raised one arm, opened her hand and some Jewel shards fell over the floor, in his direction.

"Here it is" Kikyo said.

"Why are you helping me?" At last, he asked before she could turn her back to him and get out of that room, like she always did.

Kikyo did not said a word, she acted mysteriously as usual. After playing her role, she would leave. Suddenly a barrier formed beyond the door, preventing her to pass through.

"I asked you a question" The hanyo persisted on that conversation, his irritation was visible both in his tone and his facial expressions.

"Naraku, enough of that, you know you cannot hurt me" Kikyou showed herself serene and stood in front of that door.

"What if you are wrong and I kill you right now?" He got closer and when he was at her back, he smirked, so treacherous as he was used to be.

The resurrected maiden turned around and faced him in the eyes, with no exaltation. Her arms stood still at her body's sides, demonstrating no effort to defend herself from any attack. Clearly, the miko was testing Naraku.

His tense fingers approached her leisurely, one inch away from her neck, he felt impetuosity to grab it, yet his movements ceased against his will. Naraku kept looking at her, even his hands were paralized. The Onigumo's beloved defiant behavior made him even more angry, but all he could do in that moment was walk away and pick up the shards she had brought. Finnally, he came back to where he was in the beginning of that meeting – petrified in front that precious harp.

"Thank you for your services" He spoke as if nothing had happened while his fingers passed through some strings, making a melodic sound echoes.

The miko gave him her back again and went away as sneaky as she entered there, without a word or glance. However, when she was already far from that phantasmagoric building, wandering around into the depths of a nocturnal forest, she considered about Naraku's strange mood and she thought over Annabelle's presence in the hanyo's life. He was **changed** – she noticed. All she had to do was to find out if such change could put her in danger, or if it was just a fleeting occurrence.

For sure, if the red-haired woman was an obstacle to Kikyo, she would need to nip the evil in the bud.

 _To be continued..._

* * *

Hey guys! I came back faster this time.  
So, Sesshomaru showed up, what are you thinking about it? Yep, he still doesn't know Rin in this chapter, it's that old badass Sesshomaru that hates humans...  
Well, it took me a lot of time to translate this chapter, and all the ones that will come after will get more harder to translate, because they are increasing size, you can say goodbye to short chapters from here, so, please, be nice, review and share this fanfic, that's all I ask... (Imagine my face so cute like I am the Puss in Boots, please)  
See ya soon! Kissuuuuus!


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